The Hero of Masks
by GamerTacticsInc
Summary: Through time and back. A novelization of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Indefinite Hiatus.
1. Chapter One: Of Curses

**The Hero of Masks**

 **A/N: WARNING! I have approximately seven-thousand projects active right now! I start them, I don't finish them, I get a new idea! I'm a horrible person for it, but these projects don't always see updates often. But, each active project will be finished in some way, shape or form.**

 **Now, onto what I wished to talk to you guys about.**

 **It's been a while since my last update… sorry about that… but I've been working on a larger project which is seeing significant strides in progress through the last few months. Chapter one will be posted soon… Probably… I'm not sure. Be looking for 3 chapters of one story and one chapter of another; both brand new… oh, and this one. This is the first chapter of The Hero of Masks. Welcome. This story is a planned novelization of Majora's Mask, which is undoubtedly my favorite Legend of Zelda game. It's dark atmosphere really stands out among the other Zelda titles, making it and Twilight Princess, which is probably my third favorite, just after Ocarina of Time, very unique.**

 **So unique, in fact, that I feel it could be properly fleshed out into a full novel. I've read a couple, and know for sure that my favorite, and the complete inspiration for wanting to write this, comes from "Insomnia" by tikitikirevenge. In my opinion, it is the single most well done novelization fanfic in the entirety of the FFDN Library. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to any who ask. Anyway, let's get down to it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation and Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.**

* * *

Chapter One: Of Curses

* * *

" _Not all those who wander are lost."- J. R. R. Tolkien_

* * *

The woods around him were spread as far as the eye could see. Though, saying that didn't mean much, as the thick fog which also filled the forest, swirling around trees, shrubs, the grass and the inhabitants of the wooding, obscured most of the sights which were offered up by the location. It made the air significantly heavy, causing the young boy's eyes to droop and his back to hunch slightly under the weight of his sword and shield. His hair was still damp from his recent dip in the river and the chill of this early morning's unwelcoming air caused the boy to shiver. Normally, the woods began warming before the sun reached its highest point. But even now, when the sun had almost reached that apex, it was cold. Not unbearably so, the boy had been through much more extreme temperature and weather, but it was still uncomfortable.

The boy looked up into the sky which was blocked nearly entirely by the canopy of leaves above him. The thick ancient branches and deep greens of the forest blocked a majority of the light and a majority of the heat from the sun. At least, that's the way he rationalized the cold, as no other explanation made sense. Nayru's Breath, or "Winter" as many called it, was still a time away, as just now was Farore's Awakening giving away to Din's Throne. This was evident by the light which managed to twist and turn its way into the holes in the canopy, though few and far between. It was clear that Din's Eye was burning intensely today and the boy silently thanked the canopy above him despite the chill it caused. Being on horseback for many hours of the day caused one to be sore, and a sunburn along his neck and arms would just add to the list of pains he could experience.

The horse he rode huffed, shaking her head and shaking her mighty white main. The boy patted her large neck with his small hand and ran his fingers through the snow-colored hair. "We'll stop soon, girl. I promise," he said to the young mare who nickered in response and sped up to an excited trot.

This increased speed was not long-lived, however, and soon the young horse slowed again. Her master said nothing about it, as he too could feel the grogginess of the morning bearing over his. He continued to praise the young horse, though not particularly for any reason. Rather, he did it to fill the otherwise silent air. It seemed that she and he were the only things making noise in the area. It was almost as if the very essence of the woods had disappeared. Even the small squirrels, which the boy tended to catch glimpses of out of the corner of his eye as they scampered back to their nests, were eerily quiet. The boy had yet to even hear the morning call of the songbirds which he loved so much and had grown so accustomed to.

Idly, he dug into his saddlebag, pulling from it a small, blue ocarina. He cupped the porcelain instrument in his hands, brushing the smooth surface with one of his thumbs in silence. Slowly, he brought the wind instrument to his mouth, blowing a soft and gentle melody through it. It was nothing specific and served no purpose other than as a way to pass time. Perhaps the gentle sounds would call to him the wildlife of the forest and they may fill the woods with their songs so that he would not have to substitute them with his own.

However, as he lowered the ocarina after the conclusion of the song, he found that the absence of music made the woods seem even more silent. Still, no animals made noise and the silence felt tangible, seeming to weigh as much as the gear on the boy's back. With a sigh, the boy slipped the instrument into a leather pouch on his side rather than in the saddlebag, thinking that he may soon have the desire to listen to something other than his and his mare's steady breathing and gentle hoofbeats.

The boy looked into the canopy of the forest and let the lively green of the ancient leaves bring comfort to him and fill his vision. He thought idly why he was here in these uncharted woods. It was very simple; he was looking for someone. Someone who had gone through Hell and back with him. She'd been with him through everything, be it the emotional pain of losing his father or the physical pain of being scorched by a Dodongo's breath. He chuckled mentally, but he was sure he had laughed out loud as well despite not actually hearing it. Not many could claim that they'd been burned by a Dodongo and have it be truth.

Indeed, the young boy atop the chestnut mare was very different than most ten-year olds. He had been through very much, all in the name of his father, his princess and his country. He'd survived the inside of an ancient tree which had been filled with poisonous creepy crawlies and a particularly nasty Gohma. He'd taken the extreme heat of the Goron Mines and come out the victor over the fearsome King Dodongo. He'd trudged through the insides of an ancient deity—twice—and come out after killing evil parasites which threatened their life—twice. And in another life, he'd done that and more.

In another life, he was a legend.

In another life, he traveled seven years into the future. He'd saved his best friend from the dangers of an ancient temple hidden deep in the forest. He'd saved the Goron Tribe form the clutches of a dragon. He'd rescued the Zora from their icy prison which was their frozen domain. He'd cleansed a temple of pure darkness and defeated a set of powerful witches which had long-before instilled fear into the minds of the royal family who knew of their existence. And finally, he'd slain the wicked Ganondorf and saved the Princess Zelda.

But that was another life, and when he returned to this one, his friend left.

Though this life was no less grand; he was still a hero of a princess, though not the Princess Zelda as he previously was. He had been recognized by the royal family as a knight. He'd gone through the week of vigorous training… though that training mostly consisted of Zelda teaching him to not step on his dance partner's toes and the proper way to behave around nobles. And all of that led to his knighting. That had possibly been one of his proudest moments. He had kneeled before the Princess and King, his head low and his eyes closed. He distinctly remembered the weight of the metal as it touched upon his shoulders and finally the top of his head.

But without his friend, it felt somewhat empty and incomplete.

So, he gathered up everything he'd need; the reforged Kokiri Sword, his Hero's Shield, which was a gift from the Gorons, crafted by Bigoron himself, his tunic and hat. He'd led Epona, who now nickered in her own attempt to fill the silence, to the courtyard of Princess Zelda. "You're already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you…"

Those words played clearly in his mind's eye as he rode through the forest. Those words which betrayed her sadness and took away from her confident air. The boy had felt horrible, but knew this had to be done. And, after a heartfelt goodbye, the boy left. He entered the Lost Woods and rode. Epona knew not of where they were going, and neither did he. All he knew was that he must find her; his best friend. But, what chances did he have of finding that small fairy in this wide world?

He shook his head of the thought. He was Link, the Hero of Time, and he was not about to let himself fall into a denial of his abilities. He knew he could find Navi. Nothing would stop him and he would not rest until he and his best friend were reunited.

Interrupting his train of though was the loud growl of his stomach. It was an almost unfamiliar noise after spending nearly three months in castle where food was easy to come by. He sighed, knowing he had managed to spoil himself in that white fortress, but there was little he could do about it now. So, he drew from his saddlebags a few strips of jerkeyed octorock. He did not prefer the lake-dwelling creature to beef, but he found it to be a fine substitute to it. On top of that, octorock was rather common and almost any deep body of water had potential to be the hunting grounds for the creatures. And they made easy prey, as well. Though fast enough to catch and devour fish, the octorock's size made it easy to skewer on the end of a sword.

Link ate his meal in silence, looking around the forest as he did so. He finished quickly and found the gnawing hunger which rested deep in his stomach to be sated for the time being. After just a moment longer of rest, he and Epona would keep going. For the time being, however, Link pulled the reins to the horse, causing her to slow to a stop. For what seemed to be the thousandth time this morning, Link attempted to get his bearings in the woods. He looked around, trying to figure out where the sun's glare was coming from. However, the woods let through so little light that this did not seem possible. Indeed, it seemed like night around him in the fog and shadows of the ancient canopies. Reaching into the saddlebag once more, Link took a swig from a waterskin before placing it back in the leather bag on Epona's side. He closed his eyes finally before patting Epona's flank softly, urging the horse forward. The majestic beast complied and continued through the woods slowly and tiredly. It seemed that even his horse was feeling the tiring effects of the morning and the darkness which hung over them.

Link rubbed his bare arms in the chill which had been getting increasingly worse. He could now feel the bite of the cold winds through his thick woven tunic and felt the cold sting his eyes and dry his lips. The boy shivered and looked about him, bringing Epona to a stop. "Let's set up camp, girl."

The boy moved to dismount his horse, but three creatures had other plans for him. With a pair of scream that sounded more like chiming bells rather than the intended war cry, two fairies assaulted Epona's muzzle, the sudden pressure on her snout and sudden light in her eyes dazed and started the horse, causing the mare to buck up, throwing Link off her back. He hit the ground with a painful thud and lay unmoving.

"Wow," a young voice said as it emerged from the mists. It took the shape of first a large, heart-shaped mask, before being followed swiftly by the straw-clad body that belonged to it. "You two fairies did great!"

He stalked quickly over to the unconscious body of the green-clad boy, his gait more like a waddle or shuffle than any real walk. He lifted the mask to get a better look and giggled boyishly and deviously, eyeing over the many leather bags on Link's belt, as well as his sword and shield. The shining weapons did not interest the child for long, however, as he spotted a faint blue glow coming from one of the boy's pouches. The imp excitedly flipped the boy onto his stomach and dug into the bag, pulling out the bright blue ocarina which had gotten his attention mere minutes ago.

One of the two fairies bobbed ecstatically around the masked head of the young one. "Ooh, ooh! What a pretty ocarina! Hey, Skull Kid, lemme touch it! I wanna see it."

The fairy, whose glow was a bright yellow, bumped the bubbly purple fey. "You can't, Tael! What would we do if you dropped it and broke it?"

The sprite slowed its bobbing to a halt before looking at its fellow fairy. The little glowing creature sagged its wings; the only real way to tell it was disheartened. "Aw… but sis, w… why can't I try it out, too?" the small fairy whined softly.

The two creatures argued in soft voices whilst the imp continued entertaining itself with the ocarina, only playing one or two notes before being overcome by a fit of boyish giggles. As he laughed, metal hit metal, creating an audible noise that went completely unnoticed by the imp due to its infatuation with the ceramic instrument in its hands, and the fairies due to the argument that they were having between one another.

Link slowly sat up, holding his head. His hair had been matted down with forest dirt and his right side was covered in a layer of mud from the ground. He looked around in confusion until a shrill note sounded from a familiar instrument, followed by more laughter. His eyes widening, Link checked the leather pouch in which he had stored the ocarina, silently scolding himself for not putting it back in the saddlebag where Epona could have protected it by running off. Though, Link doubted the horse would ever abandon him without good reason. But, even as this thought passed through his head, he could not quell the sense of panic and fear that shot through him upon his hand resting on the empty leather pouch that had once held the sacred heirloom of the royal family of Hyrule.

The boy looked up, catching sight of the bright blue that the ocarina held. It was being held by a creature which was not uncommon in the Lost Woods. A Skull Kid; little tricksters of the forest who loved nothing more than to play pranks on travelers as the woods corrupted them. However, they were never violent, and Link was sure that, so long as he was careful, he could wrestle his ocarina from the creature who, most likely, just wanted to play with a trinket that had gotten its attention.

Slowly, the boy in dirty green clothing stood, making sure that his sword and shield did not clang together as he rose. He positioned himself, spreading his legs wider and opening his arms with hunched shoulders, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting Skull Kid. However, his movement did not go unnoticed. The two fairies had finished their argument and now shot into the air with warning cries. The Skull Kid, knowing well that his fairies would not interrupt his fun without good reason, whirled around. His masked eyes met with the burning blues of the young boy he had just robbed.

The creature made a quick attempt to hide the gleaming ceramic ocarina from its owner. It did this, however, by shoving it behind its back, just as a child would if caught pulling cookies from the jar within his house, or like a young Kokiri who had just swiped the last deku pudding from a feast; a feat that Link himself was guilty of. Or had been, so many years ago. Nonetheless, the move was expected of the immature creature after having been caught red-handed. Link tensed his legs, ready to attack.

As he leapt, however, so did the Skull Kid, directly onto the back of Epona. The horse started, bucking up before taking off. Link would not have stood a chance of keeping up with his horses blinding fast speeds, so instead of keeping up with the foal on foot, he scrambled to his feet and grasped desperately at a saddlebag. The tough leather held his weight as Epona galloped down the dirt path. Throns cut shallow wounds into his bare legs and arms and bumps and rocks bruised any skin that hadn't already been scratched or cut. He felt his leg burning as it scraped along the ground and he readjusted himself so that he was sliding along his boots.

The Skull Kid giggled madly from the back of the horse as it rode the stolen beast. The fairies once more alerted the mask-wearing forest-child in their bell-like voices. The Skull Kid looked directly at Link and tilted its head curiously. It dug into the saddlebag which Link did not cling to, pulling out some of his traveling gear. The first thing that came out of the bag was Epona's riding blanket. The creature laughed and tied it around his neck, the cloth fluttering in the wind. Next, he pulled some of the dried apple slices which Link kept handy as a treat to Epona. The Skull Kid seemed to consider what to do with them before deciding to fling the hardened fruit at the boy clinging onto the horse's saddlebags. They pelted him at high speeds, but he bared his teeth and took the small stings in strive. After all, he'd had much worse in the way of pain.

Next came Link's bottles, all of which held potions of some sort. First came a red one, then a green one and, finally, his two blue potions hit his shoulder. Link growled in aggravation, beginning to climb the leather slowly. The Skull kid panicked and grabbed a few bark orbs from Link's saddlebag. The boy's eyes widened as the Skull Kid inspected what he knew was a bomb. Link kept a few of them handy, as they had been extremely helpful in that other life. The Skull Kid, however, didn't seem to know what they were. Instead, he chucked the unlit bombs at Link. They hit him in the face, but once more, Link held tight to his trusted friend.

Link knew in his mind that the well-worn leather would hold, but very suddenly, there was a loud tearing sound and Link felt himself dropping. He looked up in a panic, seeing that the leather had held, but the Skull Kid was now brandishing one of Link's smaller knives and had cut the tough cords which had held the leather in shape. The boy watched as his bow and quiver toppled out of the bad…

…And directly into his face. He had not had a firm hold on the bag due to the sudden tearing, and the hit caused him to release the saddlebag. He hit the ground hard, rolling a few feet. He stood, his body screaming in protest as he watched the Skull Kid ride off. He ran quickly, ignoring his burning legs and pained shoulder. He rushed into a low log; the only place the Skull Kid could have gone if he had traveled in this direction. He cleared the length of the log at a breakneck pace. The little light which the forest held vanished as he entered. His feet hit the wood of the fallen tree hard with each bound. Finally, he left the log coming to an end and instead of hitting the firm wood of the log, his foot hit air.

His stomach lurched as his body tumbled forward with the full weight of himself. He whirled his arms in a pathetic attempt to steady himself, but it did little other than exert his energy, of which he was already lacking. He yelled a scream of intense fear. But the eternal fall he had found himself tumbling down swallowed the sound without even an echo. After a few seconds, Link silenced himself and caught his breath. He fell facing wherever it was he was going, watching as the darkness swallowed him.

Darkness that he wished would stay as it gave way to iridescent shapes in the forms of shapes; both familiar and unfamiliar. He saw the ocarina, the face of an unknown Zora, the proud image of a fierce Goron with a thick beard, he saw a scared Deku Scrub taking a moment from fearing the world to play in the rain. Many other scenes passed him by, but few of them registered in his mind as they dulled and returned to the darkness that had swallowed him previously.

Quite suddenly, he felt his feet touch something. He did not feel himself lower onto it, nor was he dropped unceremoniously. Rather, the feeling was just suddenly there, as if he had never been in the air in the first place. Torchlight filled his eyes and he blinked while his orbs adjusted to the new brightness, which still did not seem to be much, as only two flickering flames lit the rather large chamber he had found himself in.

He looked at his feet, seeing what the squishy floor below him consisted of. He stood atop something familiar-a Deku Flower. Link had seen these many times in the forest and knew of their power to a Deku Scrub. Many of the wooden creatures lived in these flowers, using them to take cover in bad weather or just to sleep in on a cold night. Surrounding the flower was a small pond of water, the liquid reflecting the orange light of the torches. However, the light was not all that the pond reflected. The inverted image of the Skull Kid floated in the water and Link looked up to see the upright creature actually floating before him. It hovered in a position very similar to that of a lounging noble, his hand propping up his head as he lay on his side. His two fairies floated idly by, moving slowly nearby the creature's head.

"What's with that stupid horse of yours?" the Skull Kid asked as he righted himself in the air, floating cross-legged, as if sitting on some unseen chair. "It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it!"

Link grinned internally. He knew Epona wouldn't just take orders from some new, unknown rider. She was far too smart for that. Not to mention stubborn, like the red-headed farm girl that had raised the chestnut foal.

Suddenly, the Skull Kid's voice grew dark… cold… very different from the cheery, mischievous disposition of the other forest children he had met. "There's no point in riding a thing like that, so I did you a favor and got rid of it…" he accompanied that statement with a short laugh.

Link's eyes widened. He had known Epona for a majority of his life outside of the forest and to know that she was very simply gone was more than shocking. For something so close to him to just… disappear. The Skull Kid before him, however, seemed to find it funny. "Aww, boo-hoo. Why the sad face? I just thought I'd have a little fun with you…"

A spike of rage surged through Link and he growled a guttural noise from the very core of his being, drawing his sword and shield and preparing to strike at the Skull Kid. It was extremely rare for encounters of this creature to call for such drastic measures, but Link cared little for that not. However, as Link drew his weapons, the Skull Kid threw its head back and laughed.

The creature looked him in the eyes. Link knew it was, despite being unable to see its orbs. They were burning into him, unnerving him like no other enemy had. "Do you really think you can defeat me? It's funny. It really is…" the words were drawn out and sarcastic. The Skull Kid took in a deep breath then straightened itself in the air, clenching its fists at its sides before releasing a piercing scream.

Link could feel the dark magic that radiated from the creature, but could do little against it. He raised his shield in hopes of blocking the attack. He stared down the Skull Kid until he was forced to blink. But, when he did, the moment he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the dimly lit room which he had appeared in. Rather, he was now in an eternal black void which spread around him infinitely. Link turned in place until his eyes were filled with the color orange. The sound of rustling leaves was suddenly in his ears as he took in the sight. The orange seemed to bob and move and it wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized this was simply the crop of "hair" that all Deku Scrubs had. He looked down into the eyes of the scrub which were drawn up into an angry look. The creature took a step towards him on one of its stubby legs. Link went to grab his shield, knowing full well how painful the wrath of an Angry Scrub was. However, his hand found only air and Link panicked. He turned to walk away from the creature, only to come face-to-face with another.

He turned and sprinted away from the forest creatures. He was without weapons and without a way to defend himself from the Scrubs. As he ran, he heard it; the sound of a sea of leaves rustling behind him. He risked a peak behind him to see that he was being chased by what seemed like an entire army of Deku Scrubs. He adverted his gaze, returning his line of sight to where he was running. He ignored the thumps behind him for some time as he ran with no direction. He made twists and turns all in the hopes of outrunning the Dekus behind him. The thumps persisted, slowly growing louder and shaking the ground at Lin's feet. He gave into his fear and turned back, seeing what atrocity followed him. It was a giant Deku Scrub, its huge-leaf hair shaking as it chased the boy.

Link released a scream which didn't seem to get past his throat, dying as it met the air. He kept running, doing all he could. The thumping swallowed the rustling in his ears until finally the foot of the giant Deku came down on him.

Link's eyes snapped open in a blind panic. He fell back and squealed as his back hit the squishy material of the Deku Flower. As he did, the Skull Kid once more burst out into laughter. "Hee… hee hee… heehehee!" Link thought he felt his cheeks fluster and he narrowed his eyes in anger. "Now _that's_ a good look for you!"

Link did not know what the forest imp spoke of, so he stood on his legs and looked down into the small pool of water around the flower. Instead of seeing what he'd expected, his own face, blue eyes and blond hair, topped with his green hat, he saw only the face of a Deku Scrub. The orange leaves which normally topped the creatures head were young, being nothing more than a small mess of yellow foliage. Its eyes were the same glowing red that Link had seen a hundred times and its face was of smoothly textured wood. On top of its head, however, was a very familiar hat.

Link denied it. He told himself that this was not him and was very simply a trick of the wicked Skull Kid that had killed his friend. But no, he knew deep down that this was real. He could feel the dark magic of a curse smothering the sacred light of the Triforce that rested within him. Link did not think that any power could survive the Triforce's cleansing abilities, but he stood here now mistaken and scared. He looked up at the Skull kid, whose laughter was now subsiding. "You'll stay here looking that way forever!"

The creature floated backwards, being followed by his two fairies. Link charged forward, clenching his fist at his side, intent on giving the forest creature a beating it wouldn't forget. However, his forehead, which in his raging mind seemed like an unstoppable force, met an unmovable object. Said object being the tiny, yellow sprite that had floated alongside the Skull kid just moments ago. It flew repeatedly into his head, knocking him over before growling like a Wolfos in the singsong tone which fairies naturally possessed. Very suddenly, the other fairy shouted. "S-s… Sis!" the purple fey yelled from the Skull kid's side. However, as the female fairy with Link called her brother's name out, the door slammed shut with a rumble that echoed throughout the entirety of the chamber.

The fairy beat against the door, charging it and hitting it with her small fists. "Wait!" she yelled. "Skull Kid, come back!" she pleaded. "I'm still in here!" she explained. "Tael, you can't leave without me!" she ordered to the thick wooden door. She expected any moment for her friend to come rushing back to retrieve her, but her cries were not answered. Her wings drooped and she lowered herself in the air dejectedly. Then she turned on the Scrub she had knocked over, who had just stood up, and rushed at it again, knocking him over once more. "YOU!" she yelled in fury. "If I wasn't dealing with _you_ , I wouldn't gotten separated from my brother!"

Link glared angrily at the little sprite before him, swatting at the tiny, glowing pest. "Hey! Watch it!" the fey yelled as it avoided Link's attacks. Finally, after Link realized he wouldn't manage to hit the tiny, nimble sprite, he stopped swinging, compromising with himself by glaring at the being which had kept him from the Skull Kid.

The fairy fidgeted in place for a moment under Link's intense gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked innocently. "Is there something stuck on my face?" Her arms moved to her face and wiped, hoping to remove the offending debris. Link said nothing, simply staring at the fairy.

The yellow creature returned its eyes to link's before yelling at the Scrub. "Well, don't just sit there, Deku boy! Do something!"

Link had half a mind to make another attempt on swatting the fey out of the air, but decided against it as he moved to inspect the door which kept him trapped within the chamber. It was fairly large, but all doors were meant to be opened somehow. He sighed and looked away from the humongous slab of wood that kept him from his destination.

"C'mon, Deku! Just open the door!" the fey snapped. Once more Link glared at her, causing her to fluster. "Will you stop staring at me and just open that door!?"

Link shook his head and sat down, leaning his head against the huge door. Upon seeing this, the fairy changed her tone. "Please! C'mon, a helpless, little girl is asking you. So… hurry up!"

Link closed his eyes, hitting his wooden head against the door made from a similar material. He stood from his seat and grabbed the bottom of the door. He pulled with all his might, the bottom raising for just a moment before Link was forced to release it. Behind him, the fairy muttered to herself. "Ohhhh, Tael. I wonder if that child will be alright on his own?"

Link ignored her ramblings which were coincidentally just loud enough for the boy to hear. That also meant they were just loud enough to be annoying, causing Link no little feeling of irritation towards the fairy. Link rubbed his little hands together, lifting the door against. Once more, it raise only so far, but Link searched with his wooden fingers for something on the bottom. Link had met similar doors to this one and knew just how they worked.

Very soon, he felt it. It was nothing more than a small button that released when the door was opened. The only way to open the door fully was to press it in as you raised it. Link did so and felt the mechanisms within the door take over after he began lifting the door. It raised easily and smoothly up, allowing Link and the fairy passage outside of this chamber. Link hiked up the small kilt around his waist that seemed to be the ripped remains of his tunic. He began running down the wooden hallway he had opened anxiously until once more he was stopped by the fey.

"Hey, wait for me!" she yelled as she swooped in front of him. "Don't leave me behind!"

Link ignored the sprite and kept walking, moving around the little yellow creature as he walked. "Wait!" she yelled again, once more interrupting his walk. "So, um…" she fell silent for just a moment. "… That stuff back there… I-um-apologize, so… so take me with you!"

Link would have opened his mouth to respond, but he found his Deku snout to be very stiff and not malleable like the flesh and skin of his human mouth. Nevertheless, Link spoke. "Why don't you just find some other Deku to bother?!" Link said. Or, that was what he intended. What really came out was more of a choked squeal as his throat closed and he was unable to get the words out. The fairy, however, took this as a sign to continue. "You wanna know about that Skull kid who just ran off, right?"

This caught Link's attention and he nodded, watching the fairy with interest and suspicion mingling together in his red Deku eyes. "Well," the fairy started. "I just so happen to have an idea of where he might be going."

Link raised an eyebrow—or at least did the Deku Scrub equivalent of moving this facial muscles in such a way that would result in a raised eyebrow if he had been human. He had no idea what it really looked like, but he assumed the either his eye widened with the other narrowed or he looked ridiculous.

"Take me with you and I'll help you out. Deal?" the small fairy smiled, or Link assumed so. The dark was making it increasingly difficult to see anything within her glow, but Link could hear the cheery inflection in her voice.

When Link did not respond, the fairy muttered a pitiful; "Please?"

Link thought the situation over, wondering idly if it was a good idea. He had no clue where he was, where to go, where the Skull Kid would have gone, and he was now a Deku Scrub. The pros of having a guide clearly outweighed the cons in this situation and the young Deku nodded.

"Good!" the fairy cried in what seemed to Link to be relief. "So then it's settled! I'll be you partner… or at least until we catch Skull Kid…" For just a moment, the sprite's glow brightened in something akin to happiness. "My name's Tatl. So, uh—it's nice to meet you or whatever."

There was an expectant silence for a few moments and Link knew she was waiting for him to say his name. However, as he tried, once more all he could manage were ear-shredding squeaks. At this, the Tatl's wings stiffened and she looked at him. "Agh, my ears. I'll just call you Deku or—or something in that relative area. I don't know. Just stop… making noises, I beg of you."

The fairy landed on top of his capped head and stared forward. "Can we stop messing around and get moving? If I figure something out, I'll let you know. Just tell me if you need me, but don't need me too often. I can't be babying a Deku kid all the time when he's confused."

Link nodded and Tatl took to the sky again. "Watch it!" she shouted. Link was just grateful that his head was no longer a seat for this pesky fly and slowly stepped forward.

His progress was halted, however, by the large ravine he stared at. On both sides, two posts remained as a testimony towards there having once been a bridge here. "Weird," Tatl commented. "We just crossed this…" The sprite quieted and her glow dulled slightly. "I guess Skull kid really did want to keep you here…"

Link looked around, taking a few more steps forward until his feet hit something squishy and familiar. He looked down, his eyes finding the deep purple of a Deku Flower. He squeaked to get the fairy's attention, and she floated towards him. "Oh, good thinking! I've seen Scrubs use these to get from place to place!"

Link nodded, wondering how it worked in silence. He saw the large hole in the center of the flower and prodded it gently with his foot, finding the material of it to be somewhat stretchy and malleable. Slowly, Link lowered a leg into the hole and closed his eyes at the natural pleasure which reached him. It was limited, but it was there; the feeling of doing exactly as nature intended you to do. Without a second thought, Link allowed the flower to swallow him. All around him, he felt the magic of the forest swirling, making this place a reality. He opened his eyes, expecting a magnificent sight. Instead, he got little more than what seemed to be thick and heavy roots alongside dirt. The only light to reach the flower was blocked from his eyes by his head, making the inside of the flower almost pitch black. At this, the Deku sighed. He was strangely disappointed after the intense feeling of him and nature becoming a single working entity for a few seconds. He stared at the roots which slowly seemed to be growing…

Or perhaps getting closer? That wouldn't make sense-roots don't just move on their own. Or, so he thought until one of them slowly laid itself flush against his wooden torso. He panicked as he was made sure that the roots were _definitely_ moving on their own accord. They tightened down on him once they covered everything below his neck and Link was sure he was going to develop claustrophobia then and there. However, in the next moment, Link was being launched into the air.

Without thinking, the Deku grabbed two steps on his way out. He flew into the air and raised his arms, expecting fully to hit the ground with a thud. This never happened. Instead, he slowly floated forward with clenched fists and closed eyes. Eventually, he felt his feet touch solid ground and something light fall upon his head. He opened his eyes, finding himself to be on the other side of the chasm he had been staring at just a few minutes ago. "Wow, Deku boy, impressive," Tatl said as she flew over the ravine with ease. Link looked at her, the object on his head tumbling off and floating slowly down the endless hole without being noticed by either of the sentient creatures in the room.

"Well," Tatl said. "Shall we?"

Link rolled his eyes and opened the door before them via lifting it as he had the previous, though this one was much smaller and much easier to open. He and Tatl passed through the portal as it shut behind them. Link took quicker steps through this room, as it was a very simple straight shot to the door ahead of them. As the young hero did so, he felt himself being cocooned by magic. It surrounded him, wrapping him both outside, physically, and inside, seeming to tie itself to his soul. The mystical aura was so potent that it almost smothered him in energy. He felt suddenly dizzy and stumbled the last few steps to the door before opening the door on the other side and falling through, being followed by an equally disoriented Tatl.

The door shut with a slam of finality before the sound of turning cogs and sloshing water filled his ears. Slowly, Link closed his eyes, letting the world around him go dark as he accepted the embrace of unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter Two: Of Confusion

**A/N: Hello once more, my friends and readers. I don't know exactly how many people have even seen this fic, but perhaps an update will bring in more readers? I don't know, but hey, here it is for anyone watching for it or anyone new to the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation and Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.**

 **-GamerTacticsInc**

Chapter Two: Of Confusion

" _Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate." –J. R. R. Tolkien_

The world around Link slowly came into focus. The sound of rushing water, which he remembered falling over and hearing, filled his ears and the sight of a dull wooden ceiling filled his vision. He groaned in a squeak, that being the only noise he could seem to make in his Deku form. He rose from the ground, sitting and holding his head, which pounded dully.

"You awake, Deku Boy?" a familiar voice asked. The dull brown of old and decaying wood was very suddenly replaced by an obnoxious, yellow light. The fey flitted around his vision, causing him to avert his eyes. "C'mon, Deku, get up. You're so lazy."

Link groaned again as he rose to his feet, smoothing out the green kilt. Though he didn't necessarily want to get up and move around, the back of his mind screamed at him to get off of his now wooden butt and find a way to revert this curse. This snapped Link out of his tired stupor and had him throwing himself up the step which were just a few feet away with vigor.

He took in the building around him as he moved. He was not quite sure what the purpose of the building was, but the rhythmic thudding and scraping of wooden gears and constant sound of rushing water told him it had to be a machine of some sort or some purpose other than a meager home.

Within moments, Link had reached the top floor of the building. Before his was a large, spinning wooden pole and, just beyond it, was a large set of wooden double doors. The doors rested just above another, much smaller staircase. They were bland, the wood having faded and began rotting, with nary paint nor design in sight to save the stout wooden doors from their unattractiveness.

Link took in a deep breath, running at the doors with a grin on his face. At least, he assumed it was a grin. He felt the muscles beneath his wooden face move in ways that would have caused such an expression should he have been human, but he was not sure what these muscular movements caused now. With each step, his booted Deku feet tapped on the ground, the small sounds reverberating around the interior of the machine-oriented building.

Link met the door with all his strength, pushing it open until…

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

With a start, Link turned on his heel, his battle instincts causing him to lower into a defensive stance as he began to search out the source of the voice. This was no difficult job as, standing where Link had ran through mere moments ago, was a man garbed in the clothing of nobles, the cloths dyed purple. His red hair and pointed Hylian ears gave his face shape, along with his squinted eyes and wide, eerie smile. Link felt the back of his pointed hat rise and a small body wriggle its way inside the green fabric and against his yellow leaf-like hair. Link narrowed his red eyes at the mysterious man, who took the action as a sign to introduce himself.

"I own the happy mask shop. I travel far and wide in search of masks…"

Link watched in silence, his thin, wooden shoulders tensed and his knees bent, ready to pounce at the threat, should the man before him become one. In lieu of a weapon, Link balled his wooden hands into fists, the Deku-sized leather gloves creaking under the strain of movement.

"Oh, young one. Do not be so tense. Won't you listen to my story?" the man seemed to plead with the young Scrub. Link, after a moment of hesitation, relaxed his posture, taking careful steps towards the man.

"Ah. Much better. During my travels, you see, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods." The man explained. This piqued Link's interest and the Deku now gave the grinning noble before him his undivided attention.

"So, here I am at a loss… And now I've found you."

Link looked into the man's squinted eyes in confusion before the man continued. "Now don't think me rude, but I _have_ been following you…" at this, Link tensed again, and the man hastily added: "For I know of a way to return you to your former self."

Link did not relax at this, rather he looked on with suspicion and disbelief burning in his eyes.

"If, and only if, you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal."

The Ocarina of Time! That little Skull Kid still had it! Link could not let such a powerful device remain in the hands of a foolish child of the Lost Woods. He had to get it back. If that meant following along with this unknown person before him, he would throw himself into danger.

"In exchange, all I ask is that you also get back my precious mask that the imp stole from me."

Link could clearly recall that mask. Something about it was off, burning the wooden face-covering into the brain of the young boy. The way it seemed to emanate magic, of which Link had never seen an equal, caused goosebumps to rise on his wooden skin, if that was at all possible. Link shook his head to rid his mind of the thought of the accursed mask. However, the purple man took it as a sign of refusal. "What? Is it not a simple task?" he asked.

"Why, to someone like you, it should be by no means a difficult task." Link perked up. What did this man know of him? The young boy searched his memory of this life, the only one where anyone could know of him. He had never seen this man before. Not once. Some hazy figure from his Other Life rose to his mind, but he quickly pushed the memory down, knowing full well no one from then could be here now, able to recognize him. Perhaps the noble man was just trying to persuade Link through flattery. Link cared little, however, and nodded in agreeance.

"Ah, wonderful!" the man yelled in joy before settling down and placing a hand on his chin and, in a quiet voice, added: "Except… The one thing is… I'm… a very _busy_ fellow… And I must leave this place in three days. And, oh how grateful I would be if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up…"

Tatl suddenly peaked out of his hat, as if to say something, but the sprite caught a hateful glance cast her way by the purple-garbed man and quickly silenced her own complaint. "But yes… You'll be fine. I see you are young and have tremendous courage."

Link rubbed his left hand subconsciously, the word "courage" causing the magic of the Triforce, now smothered by a magic so dark that even the holy artifact could not quell its being, to become more noticeable within his body. The power of the golden remnant of the Goddesses still flowed throughout his body, albeit much weaker than it was before.

"I'm sure you'll find it right away," the mask salesman added. "Well then," he said. "I'm counting on you. Time continues to pass even as we speak. So, please, make haste, young one!"

With that, Link gave a fervent nod and turned on his heel, rushing towards the door again. He threw himself into the solid slab of wood, and something in the back of his mind yelled at him that what he was doing was _not_ a good idea.

That something, as it turned out, was right. After spending so much time in the dark underbelly of the forest, in the dark cave, and in the torch-less machine-oriented building, his eyes had grown rather adjusted to the dark. As he threw open the door of the building, his eyes were assaulted by the powerful rays of the sun, causing the boy to squint and eventually close his eyes. He slowly opened them, allowing his orbs to adjust slowly.

As he did, the yellow fairy that had been hidden in his hat for the entirety of the meeting with the Mask Salesman flew in front of his face slowly, moving forward in her own ramblings. "He gives me the creeps! That mask salesman was the…Sorry," she said suddenly, as if just now realizing Link was here. "I'm just thinking aloud. But… three days? Even if we never sleep and always eat on the move, that still leaves us with a measly 72 hours! Talk about demanding."

To this, Link nodded. Three days was a bit of a tight schedule for figuring out where the Skull Kid was and finding some way to confront the imp. However, Link had accomplished much grander feats in the past, and though at that time he was not a harmless Deku Scrub, he was sure he could find a way out of this bind.

The answer was simple: find some way to fight in this body. However, as a Deku Scrub lacked the necessary strength which even a human would have to fight, he'd have to find some alternative method to battle than trading blows. It'd have to be something safer, like a projectile. Link considered momentarily going into town and buying a slingshot before he remembered a few things. One, he had no money. Two, he was no longer the dead-eye he was while young with a slingshot, as years with a bow had curbed the old habits of overpulling the string and overcompensating for distance. And three, he was unsure if anything not inherently magical would even be affective against the Skull Kid's powers.

"Hey, Deku Boy, are we going to get a move on or are you just going to stand there and gawk at the town?"

Link shook his head, taking a few quick steps away from the tall building. He looked around the somewhat empty area. There were a few vendor's carts and some sort of tall structure in the center of town. Surrounding it were a number of men, all carrying some sort of building materials, be it lumber or other miscellaneous items. A few men in deep blue vests worked tirelessly at the base of the structure, banging in nails with large hammers. Others were a few feet away, cutting long bars of lumber to size. One skinnier man in particular was seeming to be enjoying himself on the top of the tower whilst taunting the workers below. Whether he was part of the crew or just some unknown troublemaker, Link did not know.

He stepped into the small center of activity, looking around as he did so. He was surrounding on all side by tall walls, not unlike those he had found in Hyrule Castle, though these were not as clean. Rather, they were littered with the graffiti of small children with hand paints and the more artistic symbols which were most likely pained on when the wall was built. The faded paint, chipping sides and variation of shades suggested to Link that these symbols meant enough to keep them touched up and repainted. Link strained his ears—or whatever it was that allowed Deku Scrubs to hear the world around them—picking apart the different sounds.

He could hear the rhythmic tapping of a hammer until a second joined in and ruined the beat. He could hear a soft, gently flowing water and the bark of a god. The yelling of children was prevalent and the shouting of the foreman of the job in front of him barked orders at those around him. Above all, he could hear Tatl's sudden gasp of shock. He turned to the fey, who was staring into the sky with fear etched onto her face. In the bright light of day, Link could see through her glow and was able to view the lithe feminine body beneath of it. Link followed her gaze, or at least attempted to. Due to the length, or lack thereof, of his neck, he was unable to fully tilt his head back. So, Link sat down and laid on his back, looking up into the bright blue sky. The sun caused him to squint, but his eyes widened as he saw what hung next to the Din's Eye.

There, hanging in midair, was the moon. No, it was not just sharing the sky with Din's Eye, it was actually within the sky of the world. Link, unsure of how to take this, simply stared at the piece of rock which hung over him and Tatl ominously. The surface was covered in craters, but that was not the most… distinguishing feature of the giant astral body. On the huge chunk of space rock was a face. No, not the face of Farore's Champion, known better to most as "The Man in the Moon." Rather, it was a glaring face with grit teeth and wide, red eyes. Link stared at the monstrous moon in horror before scrambling back to his feet and staring at the sprite following him in shock and confusion.

"It's not normally that big… nor does it usually have a face," the yellow fairy muttered.

Link could have guessed that.

Tatl looked at the Deku Scrub beside her. "Look, Deku Boy, you may not be from here, but I can tell you're a bit surprised, as well. This is weird…" the fairy became quiet and flew over to one of the workers nearby.

"Hey… how long had _that_ been up there?" she asked a man in a blue vest with curled brown hair. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, using the hand to shield himself from the sun. "The moon?" he asked.

Tatl groaned. "No, the clouds. Yes, the moon!"

The man ran a hand through his hair. "A couple days, maybe."

Tatl nodded and flew back to the small Deku she was traveling with. "This thing appeared just after we—the Skull Kid, Tael and I—left Clock Town. That was just a few days ago, and it seems the entirety of the town is just taking it on the chin and ignoring it…"

Link looked at the panicking fey, watching her worriedly. A part of him wanted to laugh at her worry, as she and her friends had already caused him so much grief. The rest of him, which was the majority of him, told him that he should remain silent and let the fairy talk and worry.

Eventually, the sprite calmed enough to compose a more rational and coherent thought. "Come on, let's just keep moving."

Link squeaked in response, earning him a glare as Tatl flew backwards whilst leading him. "Why won't you speak?" she asked. "You've just been squeaking. I've had plenty of conversations with Deku Scrubs. Sure, their voices are squeaky, but they can speak our language."

Link attempted to respond, but once more, only squeaks and light grunts escaped his throat. "Try using your throat more. That snout is no good for talking."

Link closed his eyes and did as the fairy suggested, speaking through his throat as opposed to his snout. What came out was even less of an attempt at communication than before. Instead of a small squeak, which someone may be able to take as a single word, maybe a yes or no, the noise that emerged from his throat was a loud and light choking. Link coughed into his hand, his throat suddenly burning from the attempt at speaking. Link shrugged at Tatl and the fairy scoffed.

The fey turned around and resumed leading the Deku Scrub through the town. From the tower, they had taken a left into a small hive of activity. Around them, many shops were open, the owners of the stores shouting out open doors in an attempt to sell their wares. There was a multitude of signs, as well. Most of them seemed to belong to the attractions which were meant to attract younger children and tourists. A large octorock, a Bombchu, and a building in the shape of a giant barrel were the most prominent features of the small area. In the very center of it all was a tall, wooden post with banners, flags and other varied decorations strung on it.

Around the post, only two people stood, the both of them juggling colorful wooden balls between themselves whilst carrying a conversation. They were just loud enough for Link to tell they were speaking and responding to one another, but not loud enough for the boy to discern what they were saying. However, the Deku Boy was sure that, if he got just a few feet closer, that problem could be alleviated. At this time, however, Link cared little for the antics of two strange men. Instead, he set his eyes back on Tatl, who was moving across the open space at a rather hasty speed.

Link rushed to catch up to the flitting fey, his little, wooden legs straining under his surprisingly weighty body. Link was sure his movement would be much less awkward had he grown up as a Deku Scrub, but currently his head felt heavy and his face was catching much more wind than normal, making running an uncomfortable experience as it caused strain on what little of a neck he had. As such, he squeaked to possibly convey to the fairy his discomfort, but the yellow pixie ignored his call entirely as she flew.

Quite suddenly, the fairy stopped. She hovered just in front of a wooden plaque. As Link neared it, he was relieved to find he could read the words that had been carved into the wood. Though it did seem to be more robust that the font most Hylian scribes used, it was still decipherable to Link.

The boy leaned in, squinting at the wooden plate. "Stockpot Inn," Tatl muttered softly as Link read the words. "Maybe we should get a room. You know, a place to hold up for the time you're in town looking for the Skull Kid."

To this, the Deku nodded, reaching up and doing what the fairy could not; open the door. The sprite grinned at her Deku Servant and swooped into the room, followed closely by the aforementioned Deku. The two of them stood—or floated—awkwardly and silently in place for a few moments before Tatl made her way to the counter where a young, red-headed woman sat. A woman who was, surprisingly, very familiar to Link in this foreign place.

"Ah-oo!" the little Deku cried, causing the woman to jump in surprise, her eyes locking with those of the excited young Scrub. Tatl turned, glaring daggers at the young creature which dare make a noise, but Link didn't stop.

"O-i-oo-e-e-hy-ool?" the confused Deku Scrub asked. Tatl brushed the uninterpretable question off with a laugh. "Oh, that's funny, Deku Head."

The woman looked between the fey and the Scrub, who was standing on his toes to see over the tall counter, in confusion. "Can I… help you?" she asked in a somewhat meager voice.

"Yes. My _friend_ and I need a room," Tatl said as she flitted around the desk of the young woman, who nodded and opened a small book. "Names?"

Tatl froze, looking at Link. "Uhhh, one second." The young fairy suddenly closed the distance between the two of them, standing on the snout of the Deku and causing him to cross his eyes to bring the small body of the fairy into focus. From her perch, she whispered. "What's your name, Deku Boy?"

Link took in a breath to speak, but the fairy held her hand out. "No. No squeaks. Just… write it or something…"

The fairy lifted off from his nose, looking around before spotting a quill in an ink well and a small stack of parchment. "Ah!" she sighed in relief at the coincidence before swooping in and grabbing a thin slip of the paper and the quill before returning to the Scrub. "Write on this," she whispered as she sat the paper in the floor and dropped the white cuckoo-feather quill in the boy's hand. Link nodded and sat on the floor, slowly and meticulously writing out his name on the slip of paper as the sprite and redheaded woman looked on in confusion.

The fairy floating above him groaned in impatience. However, Link did not pick up his speed. Both because he was enjoying the fey's frustration and he had been taught that, no matter what, a clear and confident quill mark should be used in one's name so as to make it clearly legible. His mind's eye conjured up an image of a redheaded—though not like the dark lochs belonging to the woman behind the desk—and blonde girl, both lecturing him on separate occasions as to the importance of penmanship and diction.

Within a few moments, which to the fairy above him had seemed like an eternity, Link handed up the slip of paper and the quill. The sprite took both, returning the quill to the inkwell and giving the innkeeper the paper, covered in still-wet ink.

"Ah! Mr. Link!" the woman exclaimed with a smile. "I thought you would never arrive."

She dug into a drawer behind the desk and withdrew a small key, handing it and the slip of paper to the Deku Boy. "Your room is the Knife Chamber. It's the first door you see upstairs."

Link nodded gratefully, taking the metal key before rushing up the steps. He approached the door, pushing the key in slowly. With a soft click, the key set itself in place and Link turned it, the door opening with a blast of cool, stale air. The smell of dirt invaded Link's nostrils—nostril?—and the boy entered the room. "So. Link? Uh… Deku Boy? I don't know what to call you now… did you, like, plan on coming to Termina? Why did you have a reservation here?"

Link shook his head and shrugged, chalking the experience up to the grace of the Goddesses. "Strange," the fairy said as she landed on a small table beside a larger bed. Link was quite surprised at the size of the mattress, appearing to have the ability to accommodate even a Goron, should the need to do so arise. However, most of the Goron's Link had met preferred the floor to a bed, claiming that the feeling of rock against their tough hide was unbeatable. Then again, that was only in the caves of Death Mountain. Link was not sure where a Goron from elsewhere would prefer to sleep.

Link climbed onto the tall bedframe before flopping onto the mattress, groaning in his squeaky voice. Perhaps, he thought, a Goron would like this mattress…

"Hey, this is no time to be lazing around!" the yellow sprite called out. "We've gotta find that Skull Kid!"

Link sighed, attempting to use the pillow, the only soft thing in the room, to cover as much of his body as possible in order to get some sleep. "C'mon, Deku Boy. We really don't have time!"

Link yawned, closing his wooden eyelids as he pushed his face into the pillow. "Link!" the small fey yelled, speeding into the back of his head. Link groaned as he was flipped onto his stomach, but otherwise refused to acknowledge the sprite, who then grabbed his hat from his head, settling into it on the adjacent table.

"Whatever," the fairy muttered to herself, knowing full well that she, too, desired some form of rest as well. She told herself that she'd wake the boy up as dusk approached so that they could get a move on.

Within the next six hours, the Clock Tower rang out, jolting the snoozing Deku Scrub from his sleep. The boy sat up in the bed before sliding onto the floor. Though, sliding was a bit of a general term. To Link, it was more along the lines of a second of nauseating falling before grunting upon reaching the floor. The boy, hatless and groggy, tapped on the head pof the snoozing pixie in the familiar green cloth.

"Whad-ya want?" the sprite groaned, snuggling further into the fabric of the oversized hat. Irritated, Link tugged the green headpiece from under the creature, causing her to take to the air after a moment of spinning and a thud on the top of the nightstand.

"What's the big idea, Deku Head?!" she shouted, planting her hands on her hips. In response, Link pointed outside, where the sun was slowly setting and the patrolling guards were lighting the torches lining buildings and town walls. The fairy, embarrassed and upset, pouted and landed on the Deku Boy's hat as he repositioned it on his head. "You were to one who wanted to sleep. Don't blame me for not wanting to wake up…" she muttered in her own defense, though it did little other than make Link laugh internally. He would not dare to do so externally, as he knew the wrath of a fairy in his hair. He shuddered at that painful memory as he stepped outside, pocketing the metal key.

Link waved to the woman behind the counter with a longing glance that went unnoticed by the redheaded innkeeper. She simply waved back with a smile, and a giggle upon noticing Tatl, who was trying to make a bed out of the currently-in-use hat.

"We close at eight," the woman called. "But that key should open the front door."

Tatl responded with what Link was sure would have been a quip had she not been so tired. Instead what came out was more a slur of syllables in the natural singsong voice that all forest sprites seemed to possess. As they cleared the door, Tatl groaned, forgoing the making of a bed in favor of sitting cross-legged on the Deku boy's head.

"Hey… HEY! What's that?!" the fey suddenly shouted, springing up from Link's head. The boy followed her sudden bright glow, which joined with another light yellow light high in the air. As Link approached, he found this to be no mere light, but something much different. Another fairy, this one much larger than those found in the forest, floated curiously and aimlessly around. Tatl pulled the fey with her back to Link. "Look! It's a fairy!" she said as she approached.

"Young One! Hear my plea! Take me to the shrine in Northern Clock Town!" the large sprite suddenly called, startling Link and Tatl both. While Link did not know what to make of it, Tatl hit his head at full speed. "Come on, octorock-for-brains," she said. "Let's follow that fairy!"

Link nodded and the large yellow pixie took off up a flight of stairs and towards a hole in the tall town walls. Link and Tatl followed, with the smaller fey keeping between Link and the larger creature as to assure that he didn't get lost.

Within the next few minutes, Link was running across a small field, surrounded on all sides by the town walls. The small park area was lush, green and filled to the brim with children playing. Link had little time to truly appreciate the area, however, as the large fairy lifted herself over a short incline with Link and Tatl on her heels—wings…

The three entered a dark cave, following the glowing light of the yellow fairy. They traveled deeper and deeper and light became scarcer with each step. Would it not have been for the dazzling lights of the two pixies, Link was sure he would have gotten lost in, what seemed to be, a straight-shot cavern. Link was not sure how such a feat would have been accomplished, but he was certain he could manage if given enough time.

Soon, the darkness began to fade and a sudden tingle filled Link's body. It was familiar and, even though the curse placed upon him, Link could feel the power of a Great Fairy as he entered one's domain. And, sure enough, after a few more feet, the perpetual darkness finally gave way to the ethereal lights of a fairy fountain. He could hear the gently running water and the beating of many tiny wings as he ran behind Tatl.

The three figures cleared the arching doorway and Tatl called out. "Great Fairy! It's me!"

However, rather than the large, vine-clad women Link had come to know Great Fairies as, he found only a collection of smaller fey. "Oh no! The Great Fairy!" Tatl cried as they approached.

"Fear not, young one…" a soothing voice called out. At that moment, the fairy Link and Tatl had been perusing flitted amongst the others and the bodies spun around. Slowly, a bright glow overtook the creatures. From the ball of iridescence, an untold power emanated. The cavern filled with the mystical energy of an ancient power. Throughout the shrine, a boisterous laughter rang, but the sound slowly diminished to s womanly giggle as the Great Fairy took shape.

She was just as large and… shapely… as the other Great Fairies Link had encountered in the past. The woman's long, pink hair tied into three braids and swaying gently behind her. Her body was covered in the greenery of the forest, hiding anything overtly inappropriate from the view of the young Deku Scrub before her. Slowly, the woman turned to Link, floating in the air as if she were laying on her stomach

"Tatl, and you, the young one of the altered shape. Thank you for returning my broken and shattered body to normal."

Tatl bobbed happily, finally settling down on the head of her Deku charge to listen to the Great Fairy.

"I am the Great Fairy of Magic," she explained. "I thought that masked child was helping me, and I grew careless."

There it was. The elephant in the room trumpeted loudly and Link and Tatl had their answer. The Skull Kid had done this to the ancient fey, meaning he was packing some serious dark magic. The quiet in the sanctuary became tangible, and Link was sure the Great Fairy was weighing her next actions carefully. Soon, however, she opened her eyes with a small smirk playing at her lips. "All I can offer you is this: I shall grant you magic power as a sign of my gratitude. Please accept it!"

Link nodded, causing Tatl to fly from the top of his head, casting the Deku a hateful glare, but held her tongue in the presence of such a powerful creature. Slowly, a green light snaked its way around Link. It started low, pooling like the shallow liquid in the center of the chamber around his feet. Then, it slowly snaked its way up his short legs, over his small leather boots and across his green kilt. It washed over his torso and up his neck before finally engulfing his head. He shuddered and began to feel woozy. Nausea overcame his senses and he tried his hardest not to tip over. He knew this feeling, however, but even that would not prepare him for what came next.

An ecstasy, the likes of which were entirely and inarguably unmatched, flooded his entire body. His vision went white as the floodgates in his soul opened, releasing upon him the entirety of a magic reserve that had been previously untapped. At some point in his Other Life, this had happened to him. The experience was no less intense, however, and soon his vision cleared. He felt nothing below his feet for a moment until the magic he was entangled with lowered him to the ground.

The boy breathed deep as the woman floating above him spoke. "You seek the Skull Kid, no? Perhaps the man who lives in the observatory outside of town knows more than I do. That mask…"

Link and Tatl watched as an array of emotions flicked through the Great Fairy's eyes. "You must not underestimate that child's power, kind young one," the fey said with sudden seriousness. "If ever you are returned to your former shape, come see me once more. I shall give you further help."

With that, Link and Tatl turned and departed after a short giving of thanks to the spirit which had just jumpstarted their investigation. Link followed Tatl's dazzling light blindly into the dark cave, reflecting on the Great Fairy's words and the trials to come.

He was confused, but now he had a fighting chance, and that was all which mattered at this time.


	3. Chapter Three: of Conclusions

**A/N: Welcome back, all and one and all that good stuff. I love writing this project, and I really love this chapter. With the first action scene of the story buried within this chapter, I'm excited to see feedback, should anybody want to give some. Hopefully, you all enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation and Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.**

 **-GamerTacticsInc**

Chapter Three: Of Conclusions

" _All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." – J. R. R. Tolkein_

Link and Tatl stepped into the fields of Northern Clock Town, both energized from their encounter with the Great Fairy of Magic. Link found himself closing his eyes just to feel the long-forgotten feeling of magic coursing throughout his veins. In his Other Life, he had grown desensitized to the feeling of ancient power coursing alongside his lifeblood. However, in this cursed body, the feeling of a new energy was noticeable and _quite_ appreciated.

Link idly found himself wondering what his magic could do while in this Deku form. He thought back to his encounters with Deku Scrubs in the past. Most preferred to do battle in way of firing projectiles at their opponent, but Link did not have projectiles which he could shoot, so that plan was foregone. Link remembered that, in the past, he could simply channel magical energy into something. He frequently did so with his sword for attacking, but also did so into magical artifacts like the Golden Gauntlets in order to use them properly.

So, Link sat in the grass just outside the field and meditated. He closed his eyes and gathered his hands in his lap, focusing on the feeling of raw magic in his soul. He willed it throughout his body, starting with his arms. He felt the power shift its focus to these places, but there were no noticeable effects. Next, his legs, where he could once again feel the weight of the great power he now had the ability to wield, but there was no change in the air or expulsion of magic in a way that could be beneficial to him. Finally, Link rerouted the power to his head. His already weighty cranium felt heavier suddenly, and slowly he felt something gather around his snout.

"Hey! What are you doing, Deku Head?"

The voice caused Link to jump in surprise with a squeak. Under normal circumstances, he would glare at the fairy to quiet her, but what he saw caused him to pause. On the ground in front of him was something slick. A goo of some sort had appeared and, as Link felt the end of his snout, he found it to be coated thinly in the substance.

Once more, Link focused his magical energy into his head, funneling it into his snout. In his field of vision, he caught a glimpse of a slowly forming green bubble. He blew air into it and it expanded slowly, eventually growing to the point that he no longer had to cross his eyes to focus on it. It took up most of his line of sight and was still getting bigger.

Eventually, Link stopped breathing out and attempted to take one in. As he did, the bubble snapped off, flying forward at an alarming speed. The small fey, whose light seemed extremely bright now that the moon was dancing over their heads, looked upon the Deku in alarm. "Wow… that was different… and gross. Did you just spit something?"

Link in response only shrugged, looking around for a viable target. He found it in the form of a large, purple balloon which was high in the sky. Upon it was a multitude of designs, though most of them seemed to be childish scribbles. Link was sure no one would miss the eyesore…

The Scrub focused his energy into his snout once more, feeling the substance ooze from the top of his Deku-mouth to the bottom, leaving a thin film over his breathing apparatus. Slowly, Link blew into the film, causing it to again expand into a bubble. The mighty orb grew until it took over his vision, filling it up with the green of the viscous liquid. Around the edges of his snout, Link could feel the rewarding tingle of properly-used magic and savored the response for just a moment until he cut it off with a sharp intake of breath.

The bubble detached and, though shaky at first, slowly shrunk to the size of a pellet as it moved. Its trajectory straightened and the bead plowed through the rubbery hide of the balloon with ease, passing out the other side and causing the inflated sphere to burst.

"Hey!" a sudden voice cried out.

Link looked in the direction of the yell, spotting a young boy in a red bandana wielding a blowpipe. He had seen the Skull Kids of the lost forest use a similar weapon, though that was only if threatened, and only while the Lost Woods was corrupted by the evil magic of Ganondorf.

As the boy approached, Link could see a sly grin forming on his youthful face. "Not bad," the boy said as he crossed his arms. "For a Deku Scrub…"

Tatl suddenly interrupted the attempt at teasing or conversation. "We don't have time, Jim. Come on, Deku Head, let's get to that observatory!"

Link nodded in response and turned to follow the sprite. "You know, we Bombers have a hideout that leads to the observatory outside of town…"

Link and Tatl both turned on the boy. "Oh! Tell us how to get in!"

"Oh," Jim said with crossed arms. " _He_ didn't tell you the code? He messed everything else up, so I'm sure he told you about the hideout and the code and everything!"

Tatl groaned in an annoyed agony and glared at the boy in front of her. "Just tell us, Jim!"

"Well, too bad, because we changed the code. And if you think you're getting in easily, you're sorely mistaken. I can't just tell you the code… the Scrub has to pass the test first."

"Jim!" the fey yelled at the young boy, causing him to flinch. "Either tell us or don't. Otherwise, Link and I don't have time for you and your stupid games. We're doing something kind of important."

The red-clad boy—Jim, as Link knew him now to be—crossed his arms and turned on the two. "Whatever. Be like that."

Tatl grumbled and flew off. "Come on, Deku Boy. I've got an idea."

Link followed the fairy, her yellow light a beacon amongst the dark streets and paths of Clock Town. His small legs seemed now to be carrying him easier than they had before, and he was able to match the fey's pace as she raced down the beaten dirt paths. They once more passed under the large hole in the wall and back into Eastern Clock Town.

On their left and right, torches lined the walls and stood on their own in sconces, casting the entirety of the part of the settlement in a warm, orange glow. Link could remember a time when, in that other life, this orange was connected to the inside of a corrupted temple, not to a beautiful scene in a safe haven. It was, to some extent, disconcerting, but Link could imagine his Kokiri Sword reflecting the dancing light, casting the warm glow all around him. He stopped and looked down at his wooden hands, silently wondering how that salesman would return him to his previous form after he recovered the Ocarina of Time, or if he even could recover the ocarina.

"Hey, Link, hurry up!" Tatl yelled from a few feet away.

The Deku snapped out of his thoughts and ran to catch up with the hovering, irritated sprite. The two moved down the street, bypassing the steps which were next to the inn and approaching a long alley. The passageway had other, thinner alleys branching throughout it, but Tatl lead Link straight down the larger lane. That is until they came upon a young boy in a yellow bandana, asleep in a chair. He snored quietly, and Link could tell from his clothing that this was a Bomber. "That's Wally," Tatl explained. "He's supposed to guard this passage, but he always falls asleep this time of night. It's safe to sneak by."

Link nodded and, as quietly as he could, he crept by the slumbering boy. This was no difficult feat, as his smaller size made it much easier to muffle his footfalls and remain silent. Every tap of his boots seemed to echo still, however, and Link feared being caught. But when he was almost ten feet from the boy, he broke into a sprint, following Tatl once more.

"Where are we going?" Link wanted to ask, but he guessed that, because of the guard, they were headed towards the Bombers' "secret hideout."

The Deku and fey soon came upon the end of the alleyway, meeting up with a brick wall. Link looked at Tatl curiously, who simply bobbed downwards towards the floor. Link looked down and there, against the stone that lined the path, was a grate. It was steel and rusted from a number of years of use, but seemed to be in working condition. However, Link was glad he hadn't come any closer, as the distance between each bar was easily enough to swallow his leg. "Down there," Tatl said, and Link stared into the darkness, which seemed endless in the night. On instinct, Link grabbed a torch from its sconce, then lifted the grate up. It moved easily enough, seeming to have been made to make access to the waterways under the city easier.

The Deku sat on the edge of the hole, letting the light of the torch in his hand flicker about the darkness, and said light reflected off of a nearby ladder. Link leaned forward, taking hold of the iron rungs and slowly descended into the darkness.

It took only a matter of seconds to get into the hole and all the way to the slick stone floor at the bottom of the ladder. Link took a few careful steps, being cautious as to not slip and snuff the life from his torch's fire. Link looked about, trying to get his bearings. There was only one way to go: forward.

Link started down the sewer, the stench of stagnate, stagnating and completely soiled water filled his snout and made him want to gag. He didn't however, and he and Tatl moved at a steady pace through the sewer.

"Ugh, it smells like the inside of an octorock in here," the yellow fairy complained.

That didn't seem to be the case… Link rather liked octorock.

Speaking of the tentacle creature, Link was almost certain that some sort of creepy-crawly had made its home in this place, and he was sure it was only a matter of time until it found him. But the Bombers used this path all the time, right? So, it should be safe.

As Link was considering this, Tatl yelled his name. The boy stopped on a dime and lowered his stance, looking about. His grip on the torch tightened and he tensed his legs. "You almost fell in, Dodongo Brains!" the fairy yelled.

True to the fairy's word, Link had been stopped mere inches from the edge of the walkway. Just below it was a deep pool, full of the source of the stench that Link and Tatl had been suffering through. The water was far deeper than Link was tall, and he could easily say he did not desire a quick dip in the liquid. Link looked at the fairy with thankful eyes, and she simply huffed in response and landed on his head. "A dead Deku is no good to me, so I have to keep you alive… I guess," she said from her spot. "Let's get across this water, Deku Head! Now is no time to rest."

The fey lifted off from his head, floating slowly across the pool. She stopped a little over a fourth of the way across. "Link! Look! It's a platform! Can you jump this far?"

Link shrugged, but was too far from the fairy for her to see. He would have to try. He'd done crazier things…

Link took a few steps back and ran at the gap, his torch held forward. He leapt, his speed giving him a shorter arc. He cleared at least five feet, but he was less than halfway to his goal. He Deku panicked, closing his eyes tight. However, as he hit the water, he felt something odd… an actual resistance. He looked down to find the water was holding him afloat, but he was sinking as his wooden body absorbed the disgusting liquid. "JUMP!" the fey a few feet away from him yelled, and he did. With one jump, he had gotten five feet, but his second jump did not clear nearly as much distance. Another foot or so was crossed, but the road ahead seemed long.

As his feet hit the ground, Link took a third jump, going another foot or two. A fourth passed and Link felt his feet begin to sink into the cesspool. He closed his eyes tight and gave one more leap, putting all he could behind it. He spun as he rose into the air, and finally, his feet his solid ground. He rolled, surprised to be alive and lay against the wall on his right.

"Come one," Tatl chided. "There's like… three more of these to jump across. Get off your lazy, wooden butt and get hopping!"

Link groaned squeakily and rose to his feet. His wooden flesh had dried quickly and he was once more the lightweight Scrub that had managed the last jump. He took a similar running start and jumped. Now being prepared for the jump, Link managed five hops across the water, not including the initial one. He set foot on the platform and took a moment to let his flesh leak the water out. He repeated this two more times until he was across the waterway and back on a long strip of solid land. By then, he was breathing heavily and tired. He sat against the wall, and the fey with him landed on his head. "I agree…" she muttered. "That was stressful watching. It must have really sucked to be doing it."

Link nodded and slowly leaned his head against the wall, careful not to disturb the fey resting on it. "We really should get moving, Link…" Tatl pointed out, and Link begrudgingly agreed. He stood from his place and took slow steps down the path. His torch flickered slowly, but stayed alive as the boy traveled, and he wished for nothing more than a few moments of rest. However, he knew he couldn't wait. He had to keep moving. At least until he found the Skull Kid and his Ocarina.

Suddenly, there was an inhuman screech. Link and Tatl froze, both having heard that noise in the past. From the ceiling dropped a creature, with eight bulging red eyes on its rather small head. However, its torso was large and muscled, covered in a white, skull-like exoskeleton armor. On each side of the beast, four large legs stemmed from its body and its mandibles snapped closed audibly.

A Skulltula was no laughing matter. Even to a full grown human, the overgrown spider was deadly. The only thing that a Skulltula had never killed, to Link's knowledge, was a Goron, and he sure wasn't one of the rock-eating giants of the mountains. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Link screamed as he jump backwards to avoid a swipe from an elongated leg, the appendage marking the ground where the Deku once stood. The creature, upset at its prey's nimbleness, rushed at the Deku. Link dodged once more, looking for any way to escape from the monster. He found none and prepared to fight. Once more the Skulltula came running, but Link cleanly sidestepped, trusting out with his torch. The beast flinched as the fire neared its eyes and retreated, hissing.

Link kept the pressure up, poking at the spider with the light, hoping it would back away, or run, or maybe fall into the pool of water which it was nearing. But no, the spider was too smart for that. As its leg hit the liquid, it stepped sideways, moving around the Deku instead of away from it. Link's heart pounded as he took another jab with the torch, and in that moment, the spider struck. The light was knocked from Link's hands and into the water, leaving only Tatl's intense glow illuminating the battle.

The beast rushed at the now-weaponless Deku, and he rolled to avoid the brunt of the attack, but one of the slicing legs caught his shin and pain flared up in the wooden appendage. As Link recovered from his roll, he jumped backward and began directing the flow of magic in his body. It filled his head and the green bubble began forming. The spider didn't seem to care, or even be cautious of its prey, and it ran in. The bubble reached its full size and with a sharp intake of breath, was flying at the spider. It didn't have time to shrink to a pellet, which may or may not have been lethal, but the effects were just as rewarding.

The bubble popped over the creature's grotesque face, covering it in the goo. It screeched in surprise and pain, writhing in place. The reaction was odd, but perhaps the ooze was venomous. The thought surprised Link. Never before had he seen a poisonous Deku Scrub, and he was sure he didn't want to after witnessing what one could do.

Link didn't have time to reflect, however, and he charged another blast. With a roar, the spider stood on its back two legs, revealing to Link a Skulltula's one true weakness. Its soft underbelly was exposed, and Link jumped back to make sure the pellet would properly form. He released the bubble and, just as he predicted, it shrunk to the size of a pellet and pierced the flesh. The monster panicked and screeched in pain once more, falling onto its back. Link ran forward, charging one more bubble and releasing it into the small opening he had made.

The monster released a high-pitched sound, which Link felt his poor eardrums had no chance of recovering from, and began curling up. Link jumped off of the creature's abdomen and watched as it finished balling itself. The boy breathed deeply before walking past the Skulltula silently.

"Wow, Deku Head, I thought you were spider food for a second there."

Link shrugged, now realizing that he had the ability to fight. It was unorthodox, but it worked. He had the ability to fight Skull Kid. Not effectively as a human, but he could do it. He could fight. He could win.

He and Tatl kept moving, eventually arriving in a large, square chamber with a tall ceiling. Just across from the entrance, a ladder stretched into the darkness. Torches burned on either side of it, lighting up a majority of the room. Link and Tatl ran and floated respectively towards the wooden creation. Link gripped the rungs in his Deku hands and ascended the ladder.

As he reached the top, he found another long hallway and he began tirelessly running down it. The fight had left him with an abundance of adrenaline, and he wanted to get as much use out of the high before his body crashed and he needed sleep.

The passage darkened until no light reached him, but up ahead, he could see the dull flickering of more torches. He ran to towards it, happiness flooding his veins. He stumbled into the room, looking about. It was cluttered, with a patch of dirt on the ground nearby and many cuckoos locked up in cages. They clucked restlessly prom their tiny prisons, pecking at the wood of the boxes or of the floor they were placed upon. On the opposite side of the room was a long, winding staircase.

Link climbed that staircase, ascending even further into the place he found himself. He looked around as the dull wood of the wall gave way to a domed ceiling of colors. Hues of many different shades filled the gently curving wall, leaving Link relaxed and allowing the adrenaline rush which he had intended to ride the entire length of the night fade. He felt his small, red eyes droop and yawned, slowing his pace up the steps. Tatl's flying speed slowed as well in a silent agreement. A soft music played in this upper floor, and Link found that it, too, threatened to lull him into sleep.

As he reached the top of the steps, he heard a whimsical, elderly voice. "Well, well…A strange-looking child has joined me today…"

Link looked up on the raised platform in the center of the room, seeing the old man in navy blue robes, hair greying and eyes full of laughter. "Are you a friend of the Bombers gang?" the man asked.

Link nodded and moved slowly towards the man, climbing onto the raised platform that the smiling elder was upon. "…Hmmm. You manners seem much better than those of your mischievous friend from the other day…"

The blue-clad man smiled at the boy, letting out an airy laugh. "Hrnf, hrnf hrnf hrnf."

He turned to the large hunk of metal which extended from the ceiling. "That ill-mannered troublemaker the other day said he'd break my instruments."

The man's eyes flashed with an anger and sadness. "He said he'd steal my Moon's Tear… There was no stopping him."

With a stomp, the elder's bright and cheery face had become contorted in irritation and anger. "Even now! Just watch him! He's probably causing trouble around the clock tower."

The man took a few steps backwards before gesturing to the metal he ah dbeen standing before. "Go on, take a look for yourself."

Link nodded and slowly stepped up to the glass eyepiece of the machine. The blue man grabbed his hands, leading them to two levers. He patted the boy's left hand softly. "This is up and down." He patted the other. "Left and right."

Link nodded again and felt the pressure of the elder's hands leave his own, and he operated the looking glass slowly. The first thing he saw was the outside of Clock Town. The walls stood tall, covered in designs similar to those found on the inside, just on a much larger scale. The Clock Tower stretched over all of the other buildings, ticking endlessly. Link, indulging his curiosity, looked about the field outside of town. On his left, he could see a thick forest which stretched off further than the telescope could turn. On his right was the beginnings of a dead ravine, with little grass growing along a dirt-laden path. Far in the distance, Link thought he could see the frozen peaks of a mountain and, just barely, the ever-stretching ocean.

Link slowly and smoothly swept the scope over the Clock Tower and, for just a moment, saw some sort of movement. He fumbled for a moment before finding the only control he had yet to use. He twisted the knob and, sure enough, the telescope zoomed into the top of the Clock Tower. On top of it, with a small purple fairy lingering nearby, was the Skull Kid. He danced strangely in place, raising his arms high and staring high into the air. Link released the knob and the scope zoomed out. Link followed the gaze of the Skull Kid, and found only the moon. It seemed much closer than it had yesterday—frightfully so. The Deku's breath left him as he stared up at the hunk of rock. And suddenly, something fell from said chunk, hitting the ground somewhere outside of the scope's view. It shook the Earth, but Link disregarded it for just the time being. He returned his zoomed sights to the Skull Kid…

…only to find the eyes of the mask glaring back at him. It seemed to cackle despite the lack of audible sounds from the Skull Kid, then turned around, taunting Link for a moment before jumping from the tower. Link separated himself from the device, breathing slowly.

"Well, did you find that troublemaker? And that loud noise…what was that?" the man asked. "Perhaps another Moon's Tear has fallen nearby… Go through that door and take a look outside."

Link nodded and began moving to the metallic door. All the while, the elderly man muttered silent contemplations to himself. "But I wonder how that troublemaker got on top of the Clock Tower? The only way up there is through the Clock Door, and that opens only on the eve of the Carnival.

"Oh, and… feel free to take that Moon's Tear, should you find it."

Link nodded, stepping into the cool air of the outside. It was dark, almost no light reaching Link. However, just past a destroyed part of fence, as a large, smoldering crater. As Link approached, he felt the heat from the impact, but as he touched the smooth gem within, he found it to be a comfortable temperature. More akin to the water in Lake Hylia than an object which had fallen from the moon. Link took the small, tear-shaped object up and shoved it into his leather pouch. He moved again, this time back into the observatory. With Tatl giving the astronomer a quiet "goodbye," the two moved through the sewer tiredly.

"Let's get back to town, Deku Boy," the fey muttered to him from atop his head. The boy squeaked in response, climbing down the wooden ladder. He moved down the slick stone path of the dark sewers, not bothering to take a torch, instead relying on Tatl's gentle light. He struggled with the water-hopping, but made it with little issue other than a single event of scrambling onto a platform with his lower body submerged and heavy. The experience left him even slower than before, and he barely managed his way up the metal ladder and back onto the surface.

The boy once more snuck by the yellow-capped Bomber and into town. He followed Tatl back to the inn and up the steps. Through the door of the Knife Chamber, Link removed his hat and set it on the nightstand. He took off the small Deku-sized boots he had been wearing, setting them and the leather gloves aside. He jumped onto the bed and yawned, Tatl doing something similar with his hat. He squeaked out something that could have been taken as a "goodnight," and with a small smile, Tatl responded. "Shut up, Deku Boy. You talk too much."

The boy chuckled before falling into unconsciousness.

The next day, the two arose from their plush comfortings—at least, they were plush to their tired bodies. Link, upon his awakening, felt a stiffness in his wooden body that refused to be done away with. Link stood from the bed, Tatl following behind him towards the window.

"It's raining," the fairy said gloomily.

Yes. It was.

But that meant little to Link. In fact, something within him stirred as he stared out the glass at the falling droplets of rain. Slowly, he pushed the split-pane out, letting some of the whistling whist blow through the curtains and against his face. He sighed happily, putting his hand out the window. Each drop his his hand, sending jolts through his body. The experience was much like that of being within a Deku Flower—completely indescribable. Completely natural and fulfilling. Grinning, he ran from the window, which Tatl tugged closed, irritated. While Link dashed out the door, she moved to the hat he had left behind. Though, that wasn't the only thing he had left behind. His boots and gloves had both been forgotten, as well. Tatl sighed and moved to watch out the window, or perhaps get a glimpse of the Deku so that she could remind him of how stupid he was in forgetting his gear. She didn't plan on taking it out to him. Rain sucked.

As she approached the pane, she found a scene which she could almost call heartwarming. The sad, young Deku, who had been cursed into a body which was not his own, had his most prized possession taken, and horse gotten rid of, was running in the rain, splashing in puddles and actually enjoying himself. He jumped into the air, turning as he did. His body dragged him back down, and he hit the ground in a run, hopping around in the drizzle, which was increasing in intensity. What she saw was not some helpless Deku Boy, but someone strong being dragged into an impossible situation. All the odds were stacked against him, but there he was, dancing around in the rain happily.

To be frank, he _looked_ ridiculous. However, the boy couldn't possibly care less, and he jumped about in the downpour. Tatl could only smile. And then she laughed as she watched the boy play. For once, it seemed, he was a normal kid. He had never been robbed and curse, he was completely innocent, overtaken by the joys of his youth.

Tatl sat in the windowsill, completely content to watch over the playing boy for the time being. Though she knew the rock which hung over them threatened this innocence, she was happy for this moment in time. She wouldn't bother him now… the world weights upon his shoulders could wait… even if for just a day.


	4. Chapter Four: of Confrontations

_**A/N: Hello All. Welcome back to the story. It's been at least two weeks since my last update. I wrote lots and I hope you all enjoy the upcoming content. I will be posting one chapter a week for this week and the three following. Most likely on Sunday, about 4 PM or so.**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation and Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.  
** _ **  
-GamerTacticsInc**_

Chapter Four: Of Confrontations

" _Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." – J. R. R. Tolkien_

Link was awoken by a tremor.

He tumbled from his bed, reaching hastily for anything he could use as a handhold. He found nothing and hit the ground with a _thud_. He groaned on the ground and stood, cursing mentally at whatever noise would be so cruel as to awaken him. He rubbed his head sleepily, looking outside. The ground was still wet from yesterday's rain, and the boy watched as some of the water ran off of the buildings, dripping slowly to the ground with tiny, inaudible splashes.

Tatl had managed to sleep through the Earth's shaking, and her tiny snores reached the ears of the Deku Boy. He turned around, seeing the flickering glow of the sprite atop his green hat. The boy smiled, walking to the bed and sitting down. He looked at the roof, and thanked the Goddesses that the wood blocked his view of the moon which had loomed over them the last few days. For some time, Link simply stared at the ceiling, knowing only a deep desire to return to sleep. But Link knew that this was the last day and that he had to make it count. This was it. The last day he had to get back the Mask and his ocarina from that Skull Kid. Link closed his eyes, planning his course of action.

As he did so, he felt a small weight atop his head. His hat placed itself comfortably atop his cranium, followed by a small fey. "You okay, Deku Head?" Tatl asked the ever-silent Deku Scrub. He nodded slowly, careful not to knock the fairy from her perch, and stood.

"It's almost over! You'll be a human again and we'll live happily-whatever-after or something…"

The fey grew silent before sighing. "How will we beat him?" she asked timidly. Link could only shrug in response and give his own loud sigh. It was funny, he thought, that the most human sound he could now make was one of morose sadness. He stood from the bed and walked anxiously around the room, unsure of what to do. Eventually, he ran to the closed door of his room and threw it open.

Standing outside of it was the young innkeeper which Link had only met once, but bore a similarity to a woman he had once known in his Other Life. He looked up and her, and she down at him. The woman seemed surprised and her short, red hair bobbed in place as she tilted her head. "I thought I'd come check on you. And to inform you of something… the inn will be closing tonight… and I will need your key sooner than expected. My family and I are going to the ranch outside of town, so I'll not be here to collect your key tonight. If it isn't too much trouble, could you give it to me now?"

Link looked at her waiting, outstretched hand and sighed, handing her the iron key from his leather pouch. "Thank you," the woman said. Link nodded and moved to pass her. He rushed down the steps, not willing his memories to linger on his Other Life or the people in the land of Hyrule, all of whom he threatened to leave with his death should he fail this day and be destroyed by whatever other dark powers that Mask had.

"Link, do you have any sort of plan?" Tatl yelled from atop his head. The Deku did not answer, simply running out of the inn and across the wet streets of Clock Town. Link slowed as he rounded the corner to a walk and entered Southern Clock Town. "I'll take that as a no…" the fey muttered. The boy whose head she rode atop of moved slowly around what seemed to be the center of Clock Town.

Around him, people moved. In fact, all in all, he saw more people her eotday than he had the entire time he had spent in Termina. They swarmed around, all seeming two belong to one of two groups: completely panicked and rushing to do _anything_ , or completely panicked and rushing to do something _specific_. Some seemed to have a plan while others did not, and instead ran about looking for this and that or one person or the other. It was a chaos which Link did not wish to be a part of, and the boy moved to the edge of the wall, watching as the mass of bodies rushed about. He sat on a crate, listening to conversations as best he could over all of the yelling. One in particular was easy to follow, the gruff voice yelling over a majority of the chaos.

"Cowards! All of you! Where are you going? Come back here! You're all cowards! Fools! Get your asses back here and finish this job!"

Link moved his body so that, through openings in the crowd, he could see the source of the voice. An old, strong man with greying hair yelled at a pack of retreating workers, all of whom were moving towards the guarded gate. The armored man moved aside, letting them all out of the city, then returned to the center of the opening, spear held erect and metal helmet gleaming.

"You damn cowards! Come back!" the man yelled at no one now. Slowly, Link stood, moving towards the greyed elder. He turned to the Deku Scrub, who tapped softly at his ankles. "What do you want, kid?" the irritated man asked.

Link looked up at the tower with questioning eyes. The man followed his gaze, closing his reddened eyes tiredly. "It won't get finished. I have no workers and no materials. We stopped receiving lumber yesterday. The idiots said there's no reason to keep building. That that little moon's goin' ta fall an' keel ever'one. An' I gotta watch as my own stupid apprentices run away with their tails between their legs!"

As the man spoke, he grew steadily angrier. And as he grew angrier, his accent became more and more apparent. He reminded Link of the dialect that many along the southern and eastern borders of Hyrule adopted. With extenuated "I"s and the loss of one or two letters on the end of each word. Link came across it first when he left the forest to go to the castle, and again when he arrived in Kakariko Village. Every man and woman spoke with a bit of twang to their pronunciation, and Link very nearly picked it up. His farmhand friend laughed whenever the boy would forget his "G" on "going" or pronounce a soft "I" as a hard "E." Indeed, it brought her no little joy.

Unfortunately for the redhead who was so fond in Link's memories, the princess was less supportive of the accent, and worked to wring it from the boy. He remembered the harsh glares Zelda gave him with very mispronunciation. Of course, it was for his own good. If he was living in a castle, he should conduct himself as a noble would. But, as a young, wandering swordsman, Link cared little for how he conducted himself. A quiet, slow and complex type of speech was just how he naturally spoke anymore. With the accent long gone and the twang being replaced by careful enunciation and cautious separation of vowels.

The man before him fumed at the quiet Scrub, having vented his anger to the boy. "Anyway… I'm sorry I blew up. Was there somethin' you needed?"

Link shook his head, staring up at the unfinished tower. Then, he pointed at the Clock Tower with curious eyes.

"No bridge. You'll have trouble getting up there. I mean, it is possible, the door's still gonna open. But, you'll just have to be creative, kid. I wish I could finish this tower by myself, but I'm getting' old, ya see? I wish you luck, son. I'm goin' home. But I'll seeya tomorrow."

The man, after that, left. He disappeared into the unending crowd of people and went somewhere. Where, Link had no idea. The boy sat back down and closed his eyes. Even now, he felt the moon's glare upon the back of his head. Even now, he could feel the darkness of the mask. And even now, he could sense the doom approaching him.

A familiar face among a small group caught Link's attention. There were three people; the innkeeper, a larger woman with deep red hair, and an old lady in a wheelchair. _Her family_ , Link thought. He watched them in silence as they all packed their things into their arms and moved towards the gate. The woman's eyes swept about and eventually found Link's.

 _Anju_.

The name meant little to him. Very simply, she was someone in Hyrule who he had never met in this life. Though she had been something akin to a friend in his Other Life, she was now just a face in his memory. Could the woman be his old friend? He doubted it. He even questioned the accuracy of his memory in regards to being able to recall his companion's face. Surely this was not the same woman. The same one who was so allergic to cuckoos, yet kept a flock of them in her backyard. The same one who treated his wounds when he returned from Death Mountain. The same one who took in a young Link on his way to get the Goron's Ruby.

Maybe his memory was failing him. Was she even as little as a friend to him? The word _mother_ flashed through Link's mind, but he cast the thought aside. She was not here. She was not in this Goddesses-forsaken land of Termina. She did not share his anxieties as he watched a giant rock threaten his livelihood. No, she was safe in Hyrule, just as Link would wanted. She did not have to worry about an imminent destruction at the hands of space debris. She did not have to worry about the grip of a tyrannical warlock bent on revenge. Just as Link wished for all of his loved ones, she was safe.

And for what reason did Link want this? He thought back to his Other Life, the vivid memories spilling over and telling a story of his own trials, tribulations and triumphs. He could see it clearly now: a scared Kokiri boy running about the insides of his deity, desperately searching for what had cursed it. That boy had failed. Though he slayed and stopped the curse, he had been too late to save the closest thing to a father he had. That day, Link's life changed. Both lives.

He traveled from the forest to the rumored Castle Town. He snuck passed large men in shining armor, all wielding heavy swords and menacing scowls.

He remembered the young redhead outside of the castle, worriedly wringing her hands outside of the gates. He remembered the funny man who had woken up and run off, leaving behind a confused Link. He remembered each step to the princess, and each word he said to her. He remembered worriedly scrambling away from a strong woman as she drew a short, thin blade…

The memories were not weak, not in any way. But still, he was unsure if this is what happened. In his mind's eye, he saw two separate lives and two separate responses to the steel in the woman's hands. In one scenario, he ran behind a giggling princess as she calmed her bodyguard. But in another, he had his own blade in hand, grinning at the Sheikah. She'd not harm him, for she knew of who the princess sought. With a returned sly smile, the both of them sheathed their weapons.

Which really happened? He could not be certain, but in his mind, they both did. One after the other, far away from one another, yet occurring in the same moment. But, to Impa or the princess, which was real? Surely it was the mutual standoff between hero and bodyguard. Surely it was the one which was so fresh and yet so blurry in Link's mind.

He felt the rumbling of a volcano. He was in a deep red tunic, facing off against Volvagia. His sword glowed dully in his hand and he recalled each strike. He recalled the sudden falling and pain in his forehead and… fairy laughter?

"Nice one, Deku Boy," Tatl commented as the Deku Scrub before her picked himself off from the ground. Link silently returned to the crate which he had been sitting on. "Are… you okay?" the sprite asked the quiet boy. He nodded in return and the both of them fell into silence. "How are we ever going to get up there, Deku Boy?" the fey asked.

Lin shrugged, staring at the Clock Tower. Had he been human, then scaling the stone building would be of little issue. There were many platforms which he could hoist himself onto and make it to the small, square door below the rotating clock face. Link stood from the crate and moved himself closer to the Southern gate, listening to the ramble around the exit to Termina Field.

"Alright. One at a time. Keep calm, we'll get all of you through," the guard said, his armor shining and voice youthful.

People around him voiced their complaints, but every one of them followed the orders given to them by the knight, and one by one, people moved out of the city. "I don't wanna leave!" a voice called from somewhere within the crowd. The boy, with a yellow bandana over his brown hair, was being cooed gently to by his mother. He whined and pulled against her, but the woman swept the child up and into her arms. He pouted and the mother hugged him to her with a sad smile. The two passed the guard with whatever they could scavenge of their lives in their hands.

Link looked at all the people. Al of them, be them boys, girls, men or women, were all walking with the shambles of their old lives. They were all on their way to somewhere else—anywhere else. A fresh start. A New Life.

How sad it would never come. That hunk of rock above them; surely it would cause massive destruction not inclusive to only Clock Town. No matter where they went: be it the names they muttered of Romani Ranch, the swamp, Snowhead or Great Bay, all would be gone—nonexistent in the purest of forms. Surely, this moon would leave no trace of their existence.

Link had to stop it. Thinking as if the end was inevitable would do him no good, and the darkening sky above him told him that time was almost up. He turned from his place and ran past the Clock Tower, up the wooden ramps and into Northern Clock Town just beyond. His booted feet treaded down the beaten, dirt path and up a gentle incline. He entered an unnaturally dark cave and made his way through the lack of light, letting the gentle aura of ancient magic fill his senses with each step he took. He was desperate for answers. There was only one being who could possibly guide him now.

"Oh my. So the cursed child appears. Pray tell, why have you returned to my home, brave child?"

The Great Fairy of Magic floated slowly in the air, reclined forward to speak to her visitor. Link, though he could not speak, was not alone. Tatl flew from within his green hat. She said what Link had the inability to. "Great Fairy of Magic, the Clock Tower is not open! How can we get up there?"

The question was blunt. Link would have asked more… eloquently. However, the fey's direct speech got the point across. The large fairy leaned back in thought. "Young one of the altered shape, do not fret. The answer is simple."

The fairy smiled and closed her eyes. "There is a small life force heading opposite of the Terminan citizens. It will arrive by midnight and will lead you on your way."

Link nodded slowly and turned, walking slowly away. "Goodbye, young one," the Great Fairy said as the boy left, ready to wait for the night.

And, as it turned out, that night came quickly. In the center of town, Link sat upon the crate which had become his impromptu chair earlier that day. He watched silently as the remaining guards, the few that were there, brave enough to remain in the desolate and isolated city, went about their roots, lighting torches on the way. Tatl sat beside him, her yellow glow keeping the area around the Deku Scrub visible. As he sat, he prayed.

He prayed to Din, so that he may find the power to overcome the inevitable.

He prayed to Nayru, so that he may be wise enough to find that power within himself.

He prayed to Farore, so that he may find the courage to become wise and powerful.

He prayed to the Goddess of Time, should she be listening, that the coming hours be in his favor.

He prayed to the sages; despite them not having been awakened in this life, for strength.

He prayed to any that would listen, and be it by divine intervention, or just blind luck, Link saw his savior. A large Deku Scrub, with a head of spinning grass keeping him aloft, was flying over the main gates of Clock Town. Across the square, he dove into a Deku Flower… one Link had not noticed in the chaos of the last few days. Its peddles were a bright yellow, telling Link of its age.

In the Kokiri Forest, these grew in Saria's secret place, which was as old as tie and the forest, and around the Great Deku Tree himself. His young friend had once explained to him that, once a Deku Flower reaches maturity, it releases all of its spores into the air. These spores, however, were the providers for the purple pigment that the Deku Flowers were mostly known for. After that, only yellow remained, and the plant took on the bright color.

However, the sciences were not what interested Link. It was the Flower itself. He stood from the box, rushing to the yellow plant. The Deku within popped out suddenly, placing a small, conical hat on his head, the material laying the four grass blades on his head down. "Ah," he seemed to grin. "A young Deku customer. What can I interest you in?"

Tatl sighed in relief and floated in front of the older Scrub. "We need to use that flower! Pronto!"

The large-bodied Deku placed a thoughtful hand upon his face, stroking his beard of ivy. "No," he said simply.

…

Silence prevailed for a few painfully awkward seconds, and for each of those seconds, the air around the group of three grew colder. Link looked at the fey, her warm glow now an intense light. To say that Tatl was angry that day would have been an understatement. To say that she was furious was not much better.

Even saying that her anger may have caused even the steadily descending moon to pause in nervousness for a moment may not be doing it justice.

"What… did you just say?" the sprite asked through grit teeth. She glared daggers into the Scrub who could not see her eyes, but shifted nervously anyway. Link smirked internally, as he was relieved to see Tatl angry at someone who wasn't him for once.

"No."

And Tatl laughed. She laughed hard. She laughed loud. She laughed in a crazed mirth for seconds which seemed to stretch against all laws of time. And in those eternally-long moments, Link knew that this would not end well, and cursed the Skull Kid, or perhaps the anatomy of a Deku Scrub, that his arms could not reach the small holes Link had discovered to be his ears.

But he could not change, and suffered with the older Deku Scrub as the fey yelled with a power that opposed her tiny lungs. It hurt Link's ears as well as anyone in a thirty foot radius. The fairy strung together profanities for a few moments. Some Link had heard, some he'd used himself, and some he didn't think could be offensive until yelled at you by a tiny, yellow sprite.

And once the language, filthier than any creature Link had ever slain in the past, was complete, the Seu Scrub on top of the yellow flower smiled nervously. His tone had changed and he seemed ready to bargain.

"Now, let's not be… hasty," the Scrub said awkwardly. "I _am_ a reasonable Scrub, and perhaps I could lend you this place if you could make it worth my time."

Once more, a chill hit the air, but Link tapped the little sprite's leg with his wooden finger. The slowly angering sprite sighed and sat on top of the young Scrub's hat, crossing her arms and waiting. Link dug into his pouch, withdrawing a glowing gem. Its blue light spread around the group of two scrubs and tiny fairy, swallowing up the darkness.

The elder Scrub's eyes gleamed greedily at the stone, and he tilted his head to the side. "You know what, kid? I've been looking for a present for the missus lately… how about this: you give me that, and I'll let you use this spot for the next hour! The whole hour!"

Finally, Link thought. He nodded and handed the gem over to the Scrub, much to Tatl's displeasure. "What?!" she argued. "Only an hour! You're taking advantage of the kid!"

"Thanks!" the Deku called as it flew back over the wall of the town, the blue gem clutched in its hands.

"Link! Why'd you let him do that to you?" Tatl asked, upset. Link simply shook his head and dove into the flower, taking off into the air and landing on the small platform before the door.

Slowly, as if triggered by Link's arrival, the tremors which had persisted throughout the day grew more persistent, and the door fell, the stone hitting the ground with a thud. Behind it was yet another slab of stone, but it too fell, and one by one, similar slabs fell. They eventually created a long stairway, but the spectacle was not over yet. The Clock Face, which had been steadily ticking away since Link's arrival, tilted back slowly, and with an unearthly loud thud, the face faced the sky, and the last few slabs fell, revealing the light peeking through the stairway.

Link steeled his nerves and ran up the steps, ready to face the Skull Kid. Ready to see if his prayers had been answered. With each step, the stone below Link thumped with a finality that stood unrivaled in his mind. And finally, he did not feel the smooth stone beneath his feet, but the solid wood of the clock face. And floating there, not more than a few feet away from the boy and yellow fairy, was the Skull Kid, Tael lingering nearby. The purple sprite, as it turned out, was the first to spot the pair.

"Sis!" the distraught fey called out.

Tatl moved in front of Link. "Ah! Tael! We've been looking for you two!" she called, and silence fell between the groups, so Tatl continued. "Hey, Skull Kid, what if you gave back that mask you're wearing now?"

The voice she spoke in was the weakest and most pleading Link had heard from the headstrong fairy thusfar, and he felt her sadness and confusion. "C'mon," she whine, slowly becoming irritated and angry. "Are you listening?"

The Skull Kid still did not respond, merely tilting his head at the two newcomers. Tael, however, took initiative. The scared, purple fairy flew forward and made his voice clear. "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry… The four who are there… Bring them here…"

This caused the Skull kid to lash out with a sudden anger, striking the purple fairy with the back of his hand. "Don't speak out of line! Stupid fairy!"

As the child of the forest spoke, a deep purple aura surrounded the similarly colored fey, the tendrils of dark magic holding the sprite in place. "No! What are you doing to my brother?"

As if just noticing her for the first time, the Skull Kid turned his masked eyes onto the yellow sibling. "Skull Kid! Do you still think you're out friend after that?!"

The fairy shook in anger as she stared down the creature floating in front of her. The Skull Kid seemed to contemplate something for a moment, but it was not Tatl's angry outburst. Rather, he acknowledged Tael's comment. "Well, whatever. Even if they were to come now, they wouldn't be able to handle me… heehee." The boyish giggle seemed very out of place for the malevolent child as he floated there. The voice of the Skull Kid slowly grew in glee. A sick and insane glee. "Just look above you!" he taunted, then curled his body up. He screamed at the sky, and Link could feel the sudden surge of dark magic.

He and Tatl shared gasps as the moon noticeably sped up its decent, falling to the planet at something akin to the speed of a lumbering Goron. Sure, it was not the fastest, but Link panicked at the now observable decent of the moon.

"If it's something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!" the Skull Kid yelled and laughed a mad cackle, throwing his masked head back as he guffawed at the poor souls he was about to destroy.

Link clenched his wooden fists and took a few steps forth, preparing a magical, green bubble. Tatl yelled at the fey beside of the insane Skull Kid. "Tael! Get away from the Skull Kid! You'll be hit!"

The fairy acknowledged with a quick bob and zipped to Link's side, drawing the Skull Kid's attention just in time to see a bubble shrinking into a deadly projectile rocketing towards him. He dodge to the side, the bead tearing some weight from his belt. This weight hit the ground with a ceramic clang, and Link dove forward, snatching up the object.

The Ocarina of Time glowed faintly in Link's hands, and he was relieved to find that it was not cracked or damaged. Rather, it was pristine: a true light in the darkness around the Deku Scrub. The Skull Kid, seeing Link's hands, simply shrugged. "No matter! I have no use for that bauble! Take it! See if I care!"

Link stared at the instrument in his hands in a great relief. He felt its magic coursing throughout him and grinned.

"Why are you just standing around?!" Tatl asked in a panic. She zipped about, her brother only able to watch his distraught sister. "Th-there's no time! You've gotta do something now!"

Link nodded, putting the mouthpiece of the Ocarina up to his snout and, with a sudden flash of magical energy, the clay warmed up and stretched around Link's body, slowly taking on a more metallic luster. The material stopped glowing, revealing a set of shining Deku Pipes. A soft voice sounded in his mind suddenly, and he closed his eyes.

 _You're already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?_

 _Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever…._

 _I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule…_

 _And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again._

 _Until that day comes….. Please take this…_

 _Know that I am praying…_

 _I am praying that your journey be a safe one._

 _If something should happen to you, remember this song…_

 _Know the Goddess of Time is protecting you…_

 _If you play her song, she will aid you…_

The notes rang in his head, and he knew just what he had to do.

"Snap out of it! What are you doing? Lost in memories or something?! Get yourself together! Somebody! Anybody! Goddess of Time?! Anyone! Help! Help us!"

Tatl shouted relentlessly, but Link simply closed his eyes. Notes flowed form the bells of the Deku Pipes, and the fey crumbled on the Deku's shoulder sadly, sobbing into his wooden skin. The melody which Lin played did little to soothe her, and she prepared for her inevitable demise.

But, with a surge of powerful magic and a flash of light, the two were gone…

The moon came down on the Clock Tower, its pieces falling around it. It crushed the building easily, and eventually, it consumed the world…

There was no savior. No one stepped forward, and no one rescued everyone.

The world's only hope was gone now…


	5. Chapter Five: of Memories

**A/N: Missed my update. Sorry for the wait. I'd like to thank the everyone following the story as of now. Despite this being one of my least-known projects, it's one of my favorites to write. This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest, but hopefully the next chapter will make up for it. Spoiler: I don't remember how long the next chapter is, so it may not make up for it, I don't know. Good Reading!**

 **Disclaimer: Do I need to say this anymore? Yeah? Every chapter? You sure? They get it though. Whatever.** **I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation along with Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Of Memories

* * *

" _Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind." – Nathaniel Hawthorne_

* * *

A young boy in a green tunic stood before a gleaming sword, stepping back form the majestic blade. "We… we did it, Navi…." He muttered.

The fey beside him remained silent.

The boy turned to her, his eyes filled with relief and dripping with what could have been identified as tears of joy. The man, now a boy once more, smiled at the sprite. "It's finally over…"

Once more, the fairy didn't reply, simply floating upwards slowly. The creature made its way to a small window, which was located high up on the wall.

"Navi! Wait!"

The fairy didn't even pause, slipping through the bars of the window and leaving a young boy behind.

"Navi!" the yell echoed throughout the Temple of Time, strangled by pain and grief, the sea of negative emotions smothering what little happiness he had left.

A young boy, dressed in a green tunic and armed with a sword and shield, fought fiercely with an armored knight wielding a broadsword. The boy gave a mighty swing, and the knight brought his own blade up to block the attack. It rattled the steel, and the boy used the opportunity to bring his shield up and into the armored man's gut. He bent over in pain, but was knocked to the ground by the pommel of the shortsword wielded by the boy in green. The knight rolled to his back to stand, but froze as the tip of the short weapon floated mere inches from his throat. The wielder smirked in triumph and the knight, upset, pushed the blade aside and stood up.

"Very good, Link," a voice called.

Link turned to the man in decorated armor walking towards him. He was rather tall, being one of the largest people Link had ever laid eyes on. He carried with him a long, steel spear with an overly decorated longsword on his side. He was Viscen, captain of the Hylian Royal Guard. He had attended the recent knighting ceremony, and watched as the youngest knight in the history of Hyrule was given the great title. The Princess and King both were unwavering in this decision, the Princess more so than the King.

Now, watching the boy's version of the deadly dance of blades, he understood the reason. The green-clad boy was no joke, and had taken down one of Hyrule's knights in mere seconds. Anyone with that kind of ability as to be respected. But to do so at the young age of ten… it was unthinkable, to say the least. He watched in silence as the boy sheathed his sword and placed his shield on his back.

"Yes, Captain? Did you need something?" the boy asked, standing at attention.

"At ease, son. I just came to deliver a message to you."

The boy perked up and loosened his stance into something more comfortable. "What is it, Captain?"

Viscen rolled his neck, listening to the healthy pops he had coerced from it. "The Princess has requested your presence in her gardens."

Link nodded, bowing to the high-ranked man. "Yes, Captain. Right away."

Viscen nodded to the boy. "You're dismissed, son."

With that, Link dashed off towards an open door. The barracks and, in turn, the training yard, were both on the eastern side of the castle. The royal wing, and in turn the royal gardens, were on the west side of the castle. This meant Link had to cross the entirety of the castle to reach Zelda's gardens. This was no easy task—not by a longshot. Link had to follow the winding, single most confusing series of hallways he'd ever been through in order to get to the royal wing.

With each step, Link's leather boots tapped in a loud sound that echoed throughout the halls which he traveled. Most of these passages, on top of this, were empty, only the stray maid or patrolling guard appearing once in a while. Otherwise, the way to the western end of the castle was very isolated and empty.

Within a half-hour, Link found that he was indescribably lost, and opted to ask a maid for directions. The woman giggled at the sheepish, young knight and led him down a series of hallways, some of which looked somewhat familiar to Link—though most did not—and through a pair of elegant double doors.

"Here you are, Sir," she said with a smile. Link thanked her and took off. Now in known territory, the boy easily found Zelda's private gardens. Around him, the enclosed field spread out, with the white of the castle's walls stood tall around the edges. Small flowers peppered the area, all of different colors, shapes and sizes, decorating the landscape. Across the field, a young blonde girl sat in a turquoise dress. She had her golden locks held up in a single ponytail the few strands hanging into her face framing her deep, blue eyes.

"Hello, Zelda," Link said as he approached. The girl looked up and smiled warmly. "Welcome, Sir Link. Please, come take a seat."

The boy nodded, sitting next to the young blonde girl silently. She looked out over her garden in amusement at the boy's silence. "You don't say much, do you?" she teased. Link chuckled and shook his head. Knowing that the young knight would not have a response, the girl continued. "It's funny… we rarely get a chance to speak between my tutoring, but I feel like I've learned more about you through your silence than through anything you could have said."

Link smiled at the girl, nodding. "I hear that very often, Zelda. I believe Malon told me something similar not long ago."

The princess tilted her head. "The ranch owner's daughter?"

Link nodded in response without a follow-up and Zelda took it upon herself to keep the one-sided conversation going. "I cannot say I am overly familiar with her. If I recall correctly, I met her only once during one of my father's meetings. Her father was attending as a representative for the peasantry, so she joined him."

Link listened in silence, placing his hands under his chin and using them to hold the weight of his head. "She is kind," he said simply, and Zelda nodded. "I'm sure…"

An awkward silence prevailed between them, and surprisingly enough, it was Link that broke it. "To think that, just a few months ago, I was a Kokiri. Now I am a noble."

Zelda smiled at the boy. "You've earned it, Link. The land my father gifted to you was well deserved, and I know you'll make a fantastic member of the king's court. If you'd just focus more on the academics available here in the castle than combat, you could accomplish great things."

"But, that is not who I am, Zel. I can't just buckle down and focus entirely on book studies. I must keep myself sharp and my blade honed. If I do not, then I will never be able to protect those I love. I can't catch a blade on an education."

Link shut his mouth quickly. Even in a setting as private as Zelda's own personal gardens, addressing and speaking to the princess so informally could get him in serious trouble. After all, a majority of the nobility already sought Link's downfall, and any mistake would be capitalized upon. When a boy of the princess' age is suddenly given land and in good standings with the king, then it draws the attention of the parents of noble children who were birthed and raised for the specific reason of courting the royal daughter of Hyrule. And when this boy dines with the king and his family each night, he draws even more attention. And too much attention from the wrong noble family could be a bad thing.

The princess closed her eyes, and she stood slowly. "Sir, would you please escort me to the library?"

Link nodded, hastily standing beside the girl and offering her his elbow, which she took happily. The two entered the castle, chatting silently among one another.

A young boy in green ran across a small field, surround on all sides by a tall fence meant to keep the horses in. Behind him was a young girl with flaming red hair and shining blue eyes. The boy made a sudden turn, and the girl struggled to adjust her direction to chase him.

"Link!" the girl groaned in irritation as she chased the green-clad boy.

Link simply laughed, slipping through the bars of one the fence and onto the horse track. The girl, in her long, white work dress, took a moment longer than the tunic-clad boy. But Link used that moment to create more distance between them, much to the girl's dismay.

"Liink!" she yelled at the retreating form of the boy.

"You'll have to be faster, Malon," Link said as he leaned against the barn, visibly winded.

The girl pouted and picked up the ends of her dress, running towards the Kokiri boy. Link turned from the barn and ran in the direction of the tower on the other side of the ranch, and Malon changed her direction to chase him. With her surprising speed and the boy's fatigue, she managed to clear the distance between them, and tackled the boy to the ground.

"Gotcha, Fairy Boy," the young redhead said as she stood from her place on the ground, giggling as she removed a few blades of grass from her hair.

Link laughed along with her as he sat up, rubbing his sore shoulder. "That you did," he said as he settled himself cross-legged on the ground. The girl followed suit, taking a seat across from the blonde boy.

"It seems like all that castle food is making you slow. And fat," she teased, poking the boy's stomach.

"Whatever," Link retorted with a knowing grin, and the both of them laughed.

A small, brown horse trotted up to the two, nuzzling the redhead, bunching her hair up. She nipped softly at the red locks of the farm girl, inciting a giggle from her. "Hello, Epona," she said with a smile as she hugged the horse's muzzle close. Link watched in silence, comfortable to be an audience member for the display of affection between owner and horse.

Malon slowly turned her eyes onto the Kokiri boy. "Look, Link. I know you've been busy at the castle… an' I guess it really may seem selfish that I wish you could be here more often. I rarely see the new, young noble anymore."

Link laughed self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck softly as his face tinted red. "It's not that big of an issue…" he muttered.

"But it is!" Malon stressed to Link, who simply smiled at the redhead. "It's something to be proud of!"

He shook his head and leaned back in the grass, flopping onto his back. "When do you go back?" the girl asked.

Link thought the question over for a moment. "I really should be leaving by the end of this week. The Captain won't be happy if I don't return to the castle for the monthly inspection."

Malon sighed. "Well, let's make the most of it," she insisted, standing and pulling the Kokiri to his feet.

That day dragged on. Though, saying that makes it seem negative. It was one of the best days of Link's life. Any day was brightened by the cheery, bubbly farm girl. And the rest of that week was no different. The two talked, played, laughed and bonded. And, for just a week, the Other Life didn't even cross Link's mind. For once, he felt carefree, as a kid should.

A young boy in green slowly followed behind a grand carriage on his steed. The young horse nickered in complaint of the heat, and the boy couldn't help but agree. It was way too hot out today, and being outside of the royal carriage, where any bandit could be stupid enough to attack, meant Link could not be lax this day.

Instead, he had to remain vigilant. Unfortunately, he was having trouble with this. Before Link had gotten his chance to say goodbye to the redheaded farm girl, Captain Viscen came knocking. Link had to move fast, as they needed every available knight on hand to be a part of the sudden escort mission. This day meant more in the grand scheme of reuniting Hyrule than anything else. Today was the day that the King of Hyrule, the one who imprisoned Ganondorf Dragmire, King of the Gerudo, would seek to strike a pact with the desert people.

In the purple carriage, the king sat in his robes. Link knew this to be fact, as so much security would only be necessary if the man himself were involved. Link sighed, looking at his new bow which rested behind his shield. One of the limbs stuck out from the metal on his right side, and Link knew that the quiver in Epona's saddlebags was stuffed full of arrows. His sword rested just under the bow in its sheath, and Link knew it was as sharp as a barber's straight razor should he need it. Covering it all was the Hero's Shield, its metal shiny with a fresh coat of paint.

Link sighed as the man around him called for a halt. The carriage and all knights stopped in their place, and the king emerged from the carriage. Link watched as he moved slowly towards Captain Viscen, and knew the man was just as tired and uncomfortable as he. The man locked eyes with Link for a moment and nodded. Link bowed his head in respect for a few moments before raising it once more. This day, he knew, was just going to drag on and on.

A young boy in a green tunic dove in front of a slicing scimitar with his shield held aloft. Metal clanged against metal, and the man in royal red robes behind Link sighed in relief before drawing the golden sabre at his side. The man joined the young knight in battling the Gerudo forces. Upon arrival, the carriage had been assaulted by the desert thieves. The moment the lithe, shapely forms of the Gerudo jumped from the canyon lips, Link's sword left its sheath. The warriors fought valiantly, but Hyrule lost men. Link and Viscen surrounded the king, fending off attackers at every step.

Link delivered a heavy slash at the woman's stomach, which she narrowly dodged before the thick metal shield in his other hand caused a nasty gash on her forehead and an even nastier concussion. The desert warrior fell back, and Link moved to block another dagger. It was well aimed and bounced from his shield. Had he been just a second too slow, the weapon would have found its mark in the king's shoulder. Link caught a scimitar on his own shortsword, and the woman and he stared each other down. Link held his own, but the woman pushed him back slowly before the blade of the king cleanly poked her thoat, causing the woman's lifeblood to spill onto the floor as she fell back.

This bothered Link to no end, but death was something he'd been a part of. In the Other Life, he'd both watched helpless as others lost their lives and retched shortly after taking one. Link knew that today would be the first kill of his New Life. It was where any normal boy would have thrown aside his fears and become a man. But Link had done this long ago, and he found himself put off by the ease of the thought.

He hadn't been wrong. Three Gerudo fell on his blade. He had been congratulated and given some sort of small praise in the way of a pat on the back or something equally as foolish, but it did little to quell the growing pain within him.

A young boy in a green tunic lay in a small, plush bed. Around him were well-decorated walls which separated him from a small but cozy home. He had been granted this right upon his return from Zora's Domain after clearing it and Death Mountain of Ganondorf's influence. He had little need for an actual home, but he often found he enjoyed the bed and proximity to the castle and ranch. Currently, he was enjoying the comfortable filling of the mattress, with his boots across the room and his sword hanging across a nearby chair. He turned over sleeplessly, staring at the wall. He knew he would not sleep this night, but it mattered little.

It was then that he heard a small sound. Most would put the noise off as the settling of wood or and ignorance of animals, but Link knew better. His Other Life had taught him of things that go bump in the night, and the short hiss of steel leaving a sheath informed him that his instincts were right. He saw the shadows at his open door move and swirl in unnatural ways, then leapt from the mattress. A blade ripped through where he had once been, followed by an angry being in black. He or she glared at the boy with hatred in their eyes before rushing at him.

Link dove out of the way, ripping his sword from its sheath. Though he preferred having a shield, as well, he was no slouch without the trusty hunk of metal. He caught the swipe on his shortsword, then delivered a swift kick to the person's ankle. This did little to faze them, but Link took the chance to make distance between himself and his attacker. The being then made a crucial mistake. With a heavy overhand swing. Clearly meant to overpower the small boy, they brought down their blade. But, Link did not block the attack. Rather, he rolled away, and the steel embedded itself into the wooden floors of Link's home. Then, with a young and guttural roar, Link brought the tip of his sword into the assassin's chest.

They stumbled back and gave a grunt which finally identified the attacker as a man, before falling back. Their lifeblood stained the wood of his home's floor, and Link exited the house. The night air was cool on his skin and, with closed eyes, he made that fateful decision. He decided that, by this time tomorrow, Hyrule would be behind him.

A boy in green led a horse slowly through the twists and turns that existed between the barracks and the castle's drawbridge. He tirelessly tugged at Epona's reigns, trying to coerce her along the path which she should have known well, but today, she even the young horse could feel the stress of her master. She, too, wished to move slowly.

"You're already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" he heard a voice say. He looked up in confusion, meeting the sad blue eyes of the princess of Hyrule. Link only nodded, staring at the ground for a moment. How was he here? What had drawn him to this place? Perhaps it was the Goddesses, desiring only to watch as the boy received his punishment for ruining the joys of a young girl.

"I must, Zelda. Something calls for me, and I must move now. I cannot waste my time, and I cannot stay here. There is nothing for me here in this land of Hyrule." Each word left Link's mouth slowly and carefully. He felt his heart hurt when the first signs of tears welled in the princess' eyes.

"Very well, Link. I…" she closed her eyes, and the hot liquid spilled from her lashes. "I cannot stop you. And, even though it was only for a short time, I feel like I've known you forever. And I will never forget the days we've spent together in Hyrule."

"And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again… and until that day comes, I want you to take this," from within her dress she withdrew something. It was small, blue and filled with magic. The Ocarina of Time was slid tenderly into Link's hands, causing the boy to look at the princess in shock.

She did not address his confusion, and instead continued her previous line of thought. "I am praying… I am praying that whatever this journey is, it be a safe one. If something should happen to you, play this song…" she handed to him a small slip of papyrus, upon which notes had been scribed.

"The Goddess of Time is protecting you, and if you play the Song of Time, she will aid you…"

Link could no longer take the strain of these emotions, and he turned, running from the courtyard he had managed to find himself in. Epona followed behind him soon, and Zelda watched as her hero left her life.

A boy in green let the tears spill from his eyes. Before him, a fuming redhead softened her features. No longer did she glare at him with hate and malice. No, that was how a child would handle this new, and she was no longer a child.

"Good luck, Fairy Boy," Malon said as she pulled the young boy in for a hug. He happily returned it, and together they stood for some time. There was nothing else to say. Nothing else to do. And the rain fell around them, wetting their bodies and mingling amongst the tears staining the farm girl's work dress.

But soon, the moment had to end, and the boy separated from the girl who had long been his best friend. And, though Malon did not understand the emotions running through her mind, one of only ten years of age, Link's mature-self did, and he ran from them. He ran from this thing stirring in his chest, mounting Epona and kicking her into a gallop. Behind him, Malon watched in sadness, but had the power to do nothing other than observe as her hero left her life.

A young boy in green made his way slowly through the forest.

A young boy in green was knocked from his loyal mount by two tricky fairies.

A young boy in green lashed out at a Skull Kid in anger.

A young boy in green was cursed to a Deku Scrub body.

A young boy in green made his way up a set of steps, a small yellow fairy leading the way.

A young boy—now a Deku—opened the Clock Tower doors and set foot into the land of Termina for the first time.


	6. Chapter Six: of Adventures

**A/N: Hello again. New chapter, and indeed it does make up for the previous one. This chapter weighs in (including the quote and title, but not this author's note) at 7,472 words. I hope all of you enjoy. Feel free to rate and review. Most of the time, I respond to reviews personally, so feel free to ask questions in them.**

 **-GamerTacticsInc**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation and Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.**

* * *

Chapter Six: Of Adventures

* * *

" _Adventure is really just bad planning" – Ronald Amundsen_

* * *

As a small, green-clad Deku Scrub opened his eyes, his frantic, yellow companion was busy screaming her head off.

"Goddess of Time," she begged. "Help us!"

The yelling of the fey attracted much attention, but all who observed preferred not to become involved in the sprite's deranged yelling. The fairy, panicking and confused, landed on the Scrub's head, attempting to coerce him into action.

However…

A squeak from said Deku Scrub caused Tatl to open her eyes, and what the fey found was not that of the moon, falling towards the pair with angry red eyes, paired with the laughter of the Skull Kid. Rather, it was a calm, bright Southern Clock Town, complete with carpenters barking orders to their inferiors and the postman's heavy, labored breathing as he passed through the center of the town.

"Wait… where are we?"

Tatl slowly lifted herself from the green-hatted, wooden head of the Deku Scrub and looked around, observing what had become around her. "Everything… seems to have… reset?"

Indeed. Everything was just the way it had been when the Deku Scrub and fairy arrived in Clock Town those three days ago. Down to the letter. The tower was still a meek-looking structure with the same taunting apprentice atop its tall, unsteady skeleton. A young boy with blue hair, wearing a Keaton mask, who Link faintly remembered clambering down the exact same stairs and checking the exact some postbox, did just that.

Link and Tatl looked at each other and Link, after flopping onto his back in _déjà vu_ of his first hour in the land of Termina, observed the evil, giant moon.

It was still there, sure. For it not to be was far too much to ask of the Goddesses and of the magic of the Ocarina of Time. It was, however, much higher in the sky than it had been just moments ago. It now glared at the town from afar, plotting the consumption of the entire world.

"Link! Everything reset!" the fey cried in excitement, bobbing around the prone Deku Scrub. Said Scrub, after some trouble when it came to the turning over of his body and the raising of said body onto stubby legs, stood up from the ground and joined the fairy in the merrymaking of joy and relief. The two hopped around, cheering at their partial success for no reason other than to be rid of the sheer amounts of adrenaline which the bringing upon of death had caused.

But, this celebration was cut short by the same fairy who had started it. "Wait! Link! Didn't that Mask Salesman say he could return you to normal if you got back your precious item? He did mean the flute-thing, right?"

Link stopped in his tracks, freezing mid-hop only to plummet to the ground and roll like a forgotten sack of potatoes. He nodded to the fairy hastily, and scrambled to his feet, rushing to the Clock Tower. His wooden shoulder hit the similarly textured door, and it slowly opened, creaking in an upset agony on its ancient hinges. Link pushed his way into the Clock Tower and yanked the huge slab of wood closed behind himself and the following sprite. After he did, only the light of the windows which were placed high in the Clock Tower's structure allowed any of the world within the Tower to be illuminated.

Standing there, as if expecting him, with those clasped hands, squinted eyes and eerie smile, was the Mask Salesman. His already-wide grin widened further as he noticed the Deku Scrub entering his dwelling and he cleared his throat, speaking excitedly to the wooden boy.

"Were you able to recover your precious item from that imp?" he asked Link, who happily nodded at the man. He stepped forward, clasping and shaking Link's shoulders excitedly. What he had asked seemed odd—out of place, but for what reason, Link could not put his fingers on. Tatl, however, did, and questioned the Mask Salesman appropriately.

"Why would you ask that?"

The salesman, in all his grinning glory, tilted his head confusedly. "Whatever do you mean, tiny fairy?"

The sprite grew flustered, her glow becoming something Link could only consider an "angry" shade of pink. However, such a feet of color seemed impossible, and the fey really just looked like a blushing ball, nothing to really be intimidated by. "Don't play dumb! To you, we just left and came back in! Why would we already have the mask?"

The salesman laughed. "I do not question your skills. I could ask you how you already have that Ocarina…"

With that, Tatl settled into a glare. She flew behind Link and settled herself there, not about to continue the conversation. "Now, listen to me. Please, play this song which I am about to perform, and remember it well, for it will serve you in your future."

Link, curious as to how the man was going to perform the song, ignored his temporary distraction and raised the Ocarina to his mouth, which became a set of Deku Pipes in a familiar flash of magic. As the glow cleared and the world around the Deku took shape, Link found the Happy Mask Salesman sitting on the long stool of a grand piano, the instrument and its hundreds of keys spread about before him. Questions plagued Link's mind, all involving the strange man and his odd behavior. However, he decided to ignore them and prepare for the tune he was to know.

With a piano so large, one could conduct and play a beautiful symphony. This was not the Mask Salesman's plan however. The grinning man gradually hunted down and pecked at a few keys before nodding to himself.

The song began at an intermediate pitch, but slowly lowered in the course of three notes. Then, those three notes repeated themselves. Link, unused to the instrument in his hands, searched momentarily for a good pitch to start on and, once finding it, let it ring out. The Mask Salesman, following his idea, played the well-tuned piano. The harmony which followed echoed throughout the chamber within the Clock Tower. Link nodded to the man, who in turn turned back to the piano and played the first note of the song. With some experimentation, Link matched the pitch with the same steady harmony.

That process continued for some time. Perhaps an hour, perhaps longer. It actually wasn't that long, but the third wheel in this situation felt as such. The two artists played matching and contesting tones until Link had finally found something. Tatl, having no musical talent whatsoever, was infinitely lost in the jumble of surprisingly good sounds. So, she listened. She listened to the shrill notes which sounded from Link's inexperience with the instrument in his hands.

Then, it happened. The two played the first six notes, the only ones they had practiced the entire time, and the Happy Mask Salesman continued. Tatl was about to groan at the continuation of the song, but was pleasantly surprised to find Link following along with grace and gusto. The boy, having never heard what was being played, kept up with the Mask Salesman, the two's musical styles clashing and combining into something resembling art. Actually, resembling made it sound as if the music was not so. It _was_ art, in its own way. It was not a painting, and it only lasted a few brief moments, but the music touched the soul of the tiny fairy, and she closed her eyes.

Link did this as well, but for an entirely different reason. As a musician, he was normally lost in the notes when he played, but that was nothing compared to what he felt now. Around him, the world fell away to black, but Link kept playing, unable to do anything otherwise through his shock. Then, the instrument disappeared from his hands. The weight didn't slowly dissipate, leaving overcompensating muscles. Rather, his arms were now at his side, and he felt as if he hadn't even been holding the Deku Pipes.

In this black world, Link could only make up one thing. There was, somewhere, the loud rustling of leaves. The source did not remain unknown for long, and a huge Deku Scrub seemed to materialize in front of the young boy in green. Said boy looked up at the neutral face of the creature and smiled. He waved at it, his hand excitedly moving around in a farewell to what had been him for so long now.

Wait…

He looked down as the world formed around him. There was a wooden clank that went entirely unnoticed by the shocked boy. The shocked _human_ boy. He raised his hands, staring at the fleshy, callused palms of his true form. No longer was wood and leather there, but his own tanned skin. On his back was the familiar feeling of the steel weapons he had brought from Hyrule, and even without turning his head, he could see the yellow guard of his sword merging with the golden-colored locks which he had had for the entirety of his life. His green hat rested snuggly over his head and his long, pointed ears extended past the rim of the headwear. His clothes, now no longer just a kilt, was his long, green tunic which was hemmed just above his knees. His leather boots rested upon and protected his feet and lower calves. Link's leather pouches, "adventure pouches," as Malon had dubbed them, were on his belt. He dug into them hastily and pulled from them only two things.

One was the waterskin his had put away whilst riding upon Epona. The other was a loaf of bread which he had bought from the trading post just outside of the Kokiri Forest. In fact, it seemed untouched by time, and the food was still fresh. Well, as fresh as two-day old bread could have been. Had that been the entirety of his time in the Lost Woods? It sounded right, but with all that happened, Link could not be sure. Link placed the loaf back in his "adventure pouch," his thoughts wandering to his lost horse and, by extent, her redheaded handler. It was funny. Malon called the leather pouches what she did because every time Link put them on, he had to go somewhere. And, one of the last times she had seen him. One of his last visits to the ranch. She gave him one she had made.

He fingered the leather silently, feeling over the stitched-in cow face that Malon had so painstakingly worked on. Link laughed the memory off, as being lost in his recollections would do him no good right now. His laughter was interrupted by the oh-so-unknown Mask Salesman.

"This is a melody that heals evil magic and troubles sprits, condensing their essence into a mask."

His gaze remained on the floor in front of Link, and the boy looked down. There, staring back up at him, was himself. Well, not himself, but a mask. And not his current face, the one he'd come to know as his whilst he was a Deku Scrub. Its sad eyes and hollow snout staring up at him silently. Link slowly picked up the wooden mask, prompting a response from the man across the room, who was now in front of Link, mere feet away. The moment he spoke, Link jumped back, alarmed at the man's sudden proximity. "Ah yes," he had said, and after Link had calmed, he continued. "I give you this mask in commemoration of this day."

Link nodded, finding a place on his belt to hang the wooden mask while the Mask Salesman spoke. "When you wear that mask, you will transform into the shape you just were. When you remove it, you will return to normal."

As Link raised his head, his gaze found an outstretched hand, waiting expectantly before him. "Now," the salesman said. "I have fulfilled my promise to you…"

The green clad boy looked into the excited eyes—er—slits of the Happy Hylian. "So, please," he continued. "Give me that which you have promised me…"

Link, coming to the realization that, indeed, he had not held up his end of the bargain, lowered his head. And the first word which left his now un-cursed mouth was a weak, embarrassed, "Well…"

And the mask salesman, his arm still outstretched, slowed his speech. "Don't tell me…" he was silent for just a moment. "My mask. You did get it back… Didn't you?"

Link, slowly, shook his head, the shame consuming the short-lived joy of being human again. And, in a sudden flash of anger, the Mask Salesman lunged forward, grabbing the young hero by his throat. He raised him into the air, and Tatl let loose a short shriek. "What have you done to me?!" the crazed Hylian yelled. Link could not answer and struggled to get his hands to the handle of his sword. The moment his fingers brushed the leather-bound wood, the Mask Salesman dropped the warrior to the ground, instead opting to hold his own head and throw the part of his body in circles. "If you leave my mask out there, something terrible will happen!"

The man settled down, Link's hand still on the handle of his weapon. The Mask Salesman took no notice, however, and spoke with a sudden seriousness that the enthusiastic—borderline insane—man had never shown before. "The mask that was stolen from me… It is called Majora's Mask," he explained, his arms held at his sides.

"It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe in its hexing rituals."

He suddenly glared daggers at Link, his beady, red eyes suddenly visible through his widened eyelids. "It is also said that a wicked and evil power is bestowed upon the one who wears that mask."

His eyelids slid back to their seemingly-closed state as the man continued his story. "According to legend… the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great, that the ancient ones, fearing a catastrophe, sealed the mask in the realm of shadows forever, preventing its misuse.

"But now, that tribe from the legend has vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the Mask's power… But I feel it…"

The man looked up, to the skies which were hidden behind the wooden roofing of the Clock Tower. "I went to great lengths to get that legendary mask. When I finally had it, I could sense the doom of a dark omen brewing. It was the kind of unwelcome feeling that makes your hair stand on end."

Link knew this feeling well. He had felt it many times; when he had first dreamt of Ganondorf and his evil; when he had first encountered the man on the bridge of Castle Town; when he first heard that laughter after drawing the Master Sword; when he stepped slowly up the steps of a tall, black-stone tower; when he first entered the Gerudo Desert with the King and Royal Guard; when he entered the Lost Woods; when he was knocked off his horse and onto the ground by the evil Skull Kid; when he first laid eyes on the mask of Majora; and now, as the Mask Salesman described in such horrific detail the sheer volumes of power which the mask possessed. And with a sense of finality, the Mask Salesman added, "And now… that Imp his it."

His hands flew back to his own head and he shook once more. "I am begging you! You must get that mask back quickly or something horrible will happen! I'm begging you! I'm begging you! You _must_ do it!"

Link stood there, shocked, and opened his mouth to respond. "Well, I mean—"

"Really? You'll do it for me?!" the Mask Salesman cried in happiness, raising his hands to the sky.

Link tried to interject, his soft voice cutting through the air. "Wait! I didn't—"

"I was certain you'd tell me that…"

"Hey! We never said—"

As it turned out, it was Tatl's turn to be cut off this time, and the man raised his stringy arms higher. "You'll be fine! Surely, _you_ can do it!"

"Believe in your stenghths… Believe…" the man trailed off, a small smile playing at his lips, and Link knew that he and Tatl would get no more from his. So, he nodded solemnly. "Yeah… let's go, Tatl."

Link turned around, and the fairy followed him, voicing her protests. "Link! Really? You're just going to—"

Once more, the fairy found herself swallowing the remainder of her words. This time, it was because of Link's unnaturally blue eyes being turned upon her. "Yes. Let's go, Tatl," he said. And the fairy bobbed in her own nod, landing on the boy's head.

The two exited the Clock Tower, greeting once more the world and land of Termina. Southern Clock Town spread out around them, and people hustled and bustled about. Link looked about, setting his eyes upon the exit of this part of Clock Town. However, this was not his plan. Instead, he turned to his left and moved slowly up the wooden, waterlogged ramp of the Clock Tower, following a somewhat-familiar path into Eastern Clock Town.

His first stop, which he prioritized in the long run of events to come, was to find some lodgings for the time to be spent still in town. And Link knew just where to go. That thought alone echoed through his mind as he opened the door to the Stock Pot Inn, the copper bell hanging about the wooden portal ringing melodiously as the boy entered.

Behind the counter was the familiar redheaded innkeeper, who smiled at the pair as they entered her business. Her hair bobbed as she turned to face them, and after her eyes scanned over the newcomers, she tilted her head in confusion.

It was an odd pain which had entered her inn on that day. One was a young, blonde boy with piercing blue eyes. He wore an odd green tunic with leather pouches on his belt, and a set of metal weapons on his back. He had a shining shield hanging over a sharp shortsword, the handle of which poked just over his left shoulder, most likely in easy reach for the boy. The other was nothing more than a somewhat familiar-looking yellow fairy, who fluttered by the boy's non-dominant shoulder, the one on the right.

The woman shook off the growing curiosity which rose up in the back of her head, and smiled at the pair as they approached the front desk. The boy then cleared his throat and, with a kind smile, spoke to the innkeeper. "Hello, ma'am. I'm here to make good on a reservation. My name is Link."

The woman looked at the small book in front of her, opening it and taking a small quill into her hand from an unseen inkwell. She flipped through the parchment pages and, upon reaching what she must have been looking for, crossed something within the book out. She returned the quill to its home before digging out a small, iron key. As she did so, she spoke. "Well, Mr. Link. We weren't expecting you until a little later, so I haven't had time to tidy up your room. But, so long as you don't mind a little messiness, I have no issue with you checking in just a bit early."

She handed the key off to Link, who took it gratefully before slipping it into a leather pouch. "You'll be staying in the Knife Chamber, which is just upstairs. It's the first door on the right. Have a nice stay."

With that, Link nodded. "Thank you, ma'am," he said with the practiced speech of a noble before moving up the steps. Tatl had spent enough time around the Bombers to know that, a normal child of Link's age would have boundless energy and would be clearing the steps before him two or three at a time. Rather, link's movements were careful and calculated, hiding some form of elegance within them, but it was nothing Tatl had paid much attention to.

"So, Deku Head, what's your plan?" the sprite asked.

And Link shrugged. "Nothing long-term or flabbergasting. Very simply, I plan on attempting to convince the mayor to evacuate the town a bit sooner. Should we fail, I don't wish to have a multitude of deaths on my hands. Then, we'll gather up the supplies we need to make it to our destination. Wherever that may be."

Tatl nodded slowly, working to understand the unexpected diction coming from the young boy she had been following. That thought gave the fey pause. She had been leading him everywhere when he was a Scrub, but now she was the one being led. It seemed the boy really was something else in his true form. Another person entirely.

As Tatl thought this through, the boy was opening the door to the Knife Chamber and walking over to a short dresser. He seemed to know what he was doing, and the sprite questioned him momentarily, but received no words in response. Instead, the boy flashed a small, silver gem her way and gave a sly grin. It seemed whoever had last stayed in this room had left a silver rupee behind, and that little bugger was worth a full one-hundred green rupees. Poor them, happy Link. The boy pocketed the rupee and then held the door open for the fairy who was now caught in a whirlwind of confusion at the change of the two's roles.

After the fey fluttered out, Link closed and locked the door, walking back down the stairs of the inn and, with a bow and thanks to the innkeeper, left. Once outside, the boy made his way around the building and up the familiar flight of stone steps. As he reached the top, he stroked the straw roofing of the unknown building on his right, and continued forward.

As he opened the door to the Mayor's Residence, the atmosphere made an attempt to squash him with its weight. From somewhere within the building, muffled shouts could be heard, and the freckled, green-haired receptionist behind the oak counter looked at the boy smugly.

"Hey. No kids in here. Your parents will have to set up an appointment for themselves if they need it."

Link shook his head, taking slow steps towards the counter. "No, miss. I'm here to speak with the Mayor. It's very urgent and I need to get it done now."

The receptionist, who was more focused on dragging the file across her nails, laughed suddenly. "Wow, kid. You're not going to fool me into thinking you're an adult by using some big words."

Tatl fumed at the irritating receptionist, landing on the table. "This is important! We _have_ to speak with the mayor!"

The green-haired lady snickered. "Oh of course, your fly-liness. Go on, shoo!"

Link narrowed his eyes at the woman before deciding that it really didn't matter whether or not she wanted him to go in. So, Link turned to the left door, put his hand on the handle, glared at the woman, and entered the Mayor's Office, Tatl following closely behind him. The moment he did, however, his ears were assaulted by yelling and angry shouting. It seemed Link had not arrived in time to hear the entirety of the argument, nor was he in time to be the first to argue his own case.

"Most of the townsfolk already have taken shelter without waiting for the Mayor's orders! The only ones left are public servants and committee members. Mr. Mayor and Carnival Committee Members, please order those who remain to evacuate!"

This was spoken by a man familiar to Link. He was dressed in bright, shining armor, his decorative helmet upon his head and the many honors he had received displaced on cloth hung over the shining steel. Link, however, felt something amiss here. No, this was not the man he knew…

"Ahh…hmm…well…" a man in a noble garb with purple hair muttered sheepishly, scratching the top of his head.

Before he could speak, however, a man Link had seen only on the third day of his time in Clock Town spoke up. "You cowards! Do you actually believe the moon will fall? The confused townsfolk simply caused a panic by believing this ridiculous, groundless theory."

Then, the man grinned, tossing a barb in the direction of the soldiers surrounding the well-decorated warrior. "The soldiers couldn't prevent the panic, but outside the town walls is where the danger is! Isn't that right, Mr. Mayor?"

The men behind the grey-headed carpenter shouted their agreements. Meanwhile, the purple-haired man still muttered to himself.

"Are you serious, Mutoh?!" yelled the decorated soldier. "It seems that giant chunk of rock above us hasn't caught your eye! At this time every year, we are overrun by tourists! So why is the town empty?"

Mutoh ground his teeth, listening silently as the man continued. "Clearly, it's your job to ensure the carnival's operation, but that's if people are here for it! Don't you dare drag the merchants and soldiers into this!"

The Mayor, in all of his intelligent glory, scratched his head and struggled to keep up with both sides of the argument.

"If the soldiers wish to run, then run, Viscen! We councilmen will stick to tradition."

He even shared the same name as the man Link once knew, it seemed, but the man surely would have recognized the youngest Hylian knight to have ever come out of training. However, as Link considered this, the grey-mustached carpenter, Mutoh, continued. "This carnival will be a success! I've never heard of a defense unit abandoning its town."

Mutoh looked to the purple-haired mayor. "Madame Aroma would surely say the same thing, wouldn't she, Mayor Dotour?"

Dotour glared weakly at the man who had just spoken. "Let's not bring my wife into this."

Viscen sighed and then, as if noticing Link for the first time, turned to him. "What do you think, kid? Let's get an opinion of the general population."

Link looked about, finding that all eyes were suddenly upon him, and cleared his throat. It had become a habit to do so before speaking in front of more than a few people, as it minimalized the chance for a voice crack, which, for a noble, could lead to long and intense bouts of ridicule from the rest of the pleasantry.

"I think it would be wise for you to order an evacuation, Mr. Mayor," Link said clearly and calmly. He felt as if Zelda would congratulate him for the small feet had she been here. But, Link had often been forced by the girl to practice his speak and, though nowhere near as refined as the princess' own, Link felt it was befitting of a noble.

However, all it garnered was laughter from the carpenter Mutoh. "Look at that, Mayor Dotour. Vincen brought in a kid to argue his case! Even taught the boy some big words to convince us! You must really be desperate, Vincen!"

This started a new argument, one which Link was not about to be a part of. So, he turned on his heel and left the office. The receptionist shot him a nasty look as he exited, obviously not happy that he hadn't been kicked out immediately. However, she then promptly ignored the boy in favor of cleaning her nails, and Link made his exodus from the residence.

As they got outside, Link pulled a piece of bread from his travel pouch. He bit into it, chewing the stale morsel hungrily. "What's the closest of the four places to the town, Tatl?" he asked. "Ocean, Canyon, Mountain or Swamp?"

The fey thought for a moment before speaking. "It'd be day three before we reached either the mountain or canyon, and the ocean has been blocked off, so until we find something that can jump a fence, like a horse—" Tatl stopped there, not finishing her sentence. "Heh… sorry," she muttered.

Link used all his willpower not to glare at the fey. "Is there anywhere around here I can buy supplies?" he asked her. She thought for a moment, then nodded. "West Clock Town has everything you'll need."

The boy nodded, moving back down the stone steps of Eastern Clock Town. He turned and moved through Southern Clock Town quickly, then crossed into the new, unseen area.

It was narrow when compared to the rest of the town. With walls on both sides and people lining the streets. Link looked around, searching out somewhere he could find supplies. He needed very little; food, a bag and maybe a whetstone. Link was sure he could find all of this here, and moved to do so. His first stop was a bakery, the man running it giving Link a friendly smile. The boy simply took a handful of trail biscuits, which would not stale, and paid with the silver rupee. Upon receiving it, the man's eyes popped out of his head in surprise of the deep pockets on the little kid in front of him, but he quicly counted out change, which Link confirmed before walking away with his purchase.

They came upon a tailor next and, with some well-honed haggling, Link managed to procure a large travel bag for only thirty rupees. This left him with twenty to buy the remaining supplies, and Link walked through the marketplace. Eventually, he came upon what he was looking for. The shop sold a few different things, most of them being different kinds of knives, but the owner of the small building, which smelled of a small coal forge, sold Link a small, hand-sized whetstone. The boy unsheathed his sword and dragged the stone across it, listening to the steel sing in response, and nodded to the seller before handing over the remainder of his rupees.

He sheathed his weapon and let the whetstone fall into one of his leather travel pouches. The bag, with its single strap, was across his right shoulder currently held only the new Deku Mask. But, Link was sure it would see more use in the future.

Finally, he was ready, and he stepped confidently towards the guarded gate of Clock Town.

"Halt," the man in shining armor said, slamming the butt of his spear against the ground and holding out his hand, palm facing Link. "The fields outside the wall are far too dangerous for a child! Please, return to your parents—"

The man stopped, staring at the hilt that poked over Link's shoulder. "A sword…" he muttered. "I'm sorry sir. I did not recognize you as an adult. I know not what business you have in the swamp, but I wish you luck."

The man moved slowly to the side, and Link walked past him and through the gate. As he reached the other side, he looked around. Stretching out before him was the field of Termina. On his left, he could see the blue walls of the Observatory in the distance, and on his right, he saw what seemed to be the beginnings of a distant shoreline. However, straight ahead of him was a thick forest. It was a night's walk to it, and Link found himself wishing that he still had his trusted companion, Epona.

He began moving, starting at an easy pace with something akin to a slow run or fast jog. The grasses around him were overgrown, and he found himself wondering if Hylian Serpents also existed in Termina, as they were always a pain in his side when nearing the overgrown grounds of the Lost Woods. His blade was sharp, however, and he was confident that he could lash out with his steel before the snake lashed out with its fangs.

Within an hour, Link had to slow his jog to a walk. Perhaps, he thought begrudgingly, Malon had been right, and the stay in the castle had softened him. He found himself trying to regain his breath whil he walked, sweating even from that little bit of exertion. He sighed and blamed it on the sun, which was currently beating down on him mercilessly.

A rustle in the tall weeds caught his attention. Nearby, not more than twenty feet away, something tall and green moved slowly through the foliage, flattening the plant life as it moved. Link pulled his sword form its sheath, not bothering to remove his shield yet, then snuck towards the creature. Suddenly, the green stopped, and two stems, each with an eye on the end, raised above the grass. The beast blinked dopily, and then set its gaze on Link. It hopped towards him slowly, and Link thrust forward with his sword. The tip pierced the creature's gelatinous flesh easily, but it kept moving. Link withdrew his blade, backing off of the monster. It hopped menacingly towards him, its dopey eyes fixated on the prey before it. With each connection with the ground, its body jiggled threateningly, and brought it back into the air.

Link spun in place, putting more power behind his swing, causing a large gash in the creature's body. But still, the monster hopped towards the boy. Slowly, the cut healed itself, and it appeared that neither of the wounds the young swordsman had inflicted had ever existed. He moved further back, meanwhile Tatl laughed at his efforts.

"Having trouble, Deku Boy?" she asked with mirth in her eyes. Link grunted and lashed out with his fott, but the monster simply rolled backwards, stunned, but not hurt, then righted itself and resumed its hopping towards Link.

"Why won't this thing die?!" Link exclaimed, cutting the beast once more, but, as the others had before, it simply healed itself right back up.

"It's a Chu Chu, Link. It regenerates. You just have to keep the pieces far enough away from another that they don't recombine."

The green-clad boy nodded, readying his blade. The creature hopped towards him, and Link hacked off a piece of it. The green blob moved slowly back towards the main body, but Link kicked it, sending it tumbling backwards, leaving Link able to punt the piece he'd chopped clear out of sight.

The monster watched it fly away and turned to Link, eyes full of stupid, blobby rage. It hopped at him more aggressively, and Link swung his blade, lopping off one of its eyes. The creature stopped immediately, turning to the fallen appendage and jumping on top of it. The gelatinous mass that was the body drew in the eye and, after a moment, put it back in its rightful place.

So, Link thought. The thing needs its eyes to do anything and will prioritize them. With this knowledge, Link repeated his earlier action, cutting the ugly stem of one of the eyes, and then kicking the main body. Link stepped backwards, then got a running start at the ball on the ground, kicking it hard.

It flew far, and the beast watched in horror as its eyeball flew away. In a panic, the monster hopped speedily away in hopes to reclaim what belonged to it. "Finally," Tatl said between her giggles, prompting Link to roll his eyes. The boy flicked the green ooze off of his blade, sending the small pieces away before sheathing the weapon.

"That sucked. How do you kill those?" Link shuttered.

"You can't. But, they also only reproduce once in a blue moon, so they're aren't as many as you'd expect from an infallible beast. That, and they can die from old age. Like, they just dry up eventually, and I think they can dissolve in water."

Link sighed. "What I wouldn't give for a puddle," he muttered. The fairy giggled at the attempt at humor and landed on the boy's head. "You move too fast now," she said. "I need to rest my wings."

Link groaned, but did not protest. Instead, he resumed his walk towards the slowly growing forest. And, by nightfall, he had made it into the foliage. Above him, the canopy spread, and he felt at home among the trees. With each step, the leaves below him crinkled happily, and the boy yawned, allowing the sounds of the forest to overtake his thoughts. He naturally navigated the trees and eventually found his way to a beaten dirt path.

Link was sure that, somewhere outside of Clock Town, he could have found this trail and hiked it without fighting the evil green blob, but the boy somewhat enjoyed his trek through the forest, and now he felt reinvigorated as he jogged down the path.

Creatures of the forest sung their songs around him and Link listened. He and Tatl slowed their movement, and the boy looked around, taking in the familiar sights of the forest. The tall, thick canopy blocked the moonlight and shadows of trees stretched all around him, creating a somewhat unnerving atmosphere which only Tatl took note of. Link, however, was far too busy enjoying what was around him.

"Link," the fey spoke softly. "The air around here smells funny. Don't you think so, too?"

Link closed his eyes and sniffed the air. Yes, there was something unfamiliar there—almost metallic, much like that of blood, but Link knew it was not so. He had smelled blood for so long and in such large quantities that he most likely wouldn't notice the scent had it been readily available for his nose to take in.

"Yeah. Something isn't right here. Remain on guard," the green boy said as he drew his blade warily. He moved much more cautiously now, holding his sword before him defensively in the event of an attack from whatever was creating the stench that burned his nose.

Behind the two, a limb cracked off of a tree and hit the ground, and in the tree from which it had tumbled, two eyes peered out at him in the darkness. Link stepped carefully backwards, not willing to engage an unknown and unseen foe, but suddenly, a tuft of white darted out of the tree. "Wait!" something cried, and Link tumbled backwards in surprise, dropping his blade and feeling his stomach drop as he fell.

He squeezed his eyes close and waited the pain of impact, but that never came. Instead, two fuzzy hands clasped his wrists and the face of a happy chimp peered up at him in concern, then pulled him forward, back onto his feet. "Human be careful! Human almost fall into bad water!"

Link turned around, currently ignoring the fact that a primate was speaking to him and found a disconcerting sight. The water of the lake, once pure and clear, was now an ugly purple, and reeked of the metallic scent he had caught earlier. "Water poison! Hurt human!" the monkey said while clapping.

"Thank you," Link said slowly, the odd feeling of talking to something which shouldn't ever understand him flooding through his body as he grabbed his blade from the ground and replaced it in its scabbard. The monkey nodded and stared at the weapons on Link's back in contemplation. "You have weapons! Have strength! Help friend!"

The ape spoke in small bursts of just a few words, and then turned around, hopping away slowly. "Follow!" it yelled, and the boy had to shake his head free of his confusions. Against his better judgment, he followed the white animal.

"Are you really following that thing?" Tatl asked him. To this, Link nodded. "It said its friend needs help, so why not investigate? Better safe than sorry."

Tatl sighed and nodded, crawling into the brim of Link's cap, which snuffed out her light. Link could still see, however, and the primate's white fur was bright in the darkness of the night. Link followed the monkey, who raced along the ground with the urgency of a rabbit in the sights of a Wolfos. It weaved around trees and rocks. It went through tall briars and thorn bushes. Link eventually was forced to draw his sword and cut through the weeds and other foliage he came upon in order to keep up with the monkey, which made tiny noises as it ran, allowing Link to follow it even without seeing it directly.

After a few minutes' worth of chasing an ape, Link found why the creature had been so hasty in procuring Link's help and leading him here. On the ground, unable to stand despite her desperate struggles, was an elderly woman. Her head was adorned in a somewhat-familiar red gem and her body in a very-familiar black robe. "H-help…" came the weakened voice of Koume the Witch. In his other life, this woman had been the fire mage that nearly killed him with a powerful spell. However, in this life, and in this world, Link was unsure as to whether or not he could trust her. Viscen and Anju had not been the same. They had not recognized him. Perhaps Koume would be different, as well.

Link approached the woman slowly, hefting her onto his shoulder. "We have to move," Link said. "We don't know what could be prowling around us."

"T-thank you, young man," the witch wheezed out, leaning heavily on the boy.

"Point me in the right direction," he grunted out, beginning to carry the woman through the forest, the monkey following closely. The old one, with a decrepit, aging finger, pointed to the North East, and Link blindly followed, walking with the witch on his back, leaned uncomfortably over his shield.

Around him, the woods cried out angrily, and he felt a magic similar to that of the corrupt Lost Woods. It was a feeling which had only pressed down on his body in his Other Life. Foreboding and unnerving, it assaulted his senses and left him feeling paranoid. The shadows of the tall trees danced around him, as if any one of them could hide a beast or assassin, ready to cut him down where he stood.

Unfortunately, this night, the woods meant to make good on that foreboding threat, and from the darkened foliage came a rushing of wind. Link felt it, and felt the malice within it, and dodged. He could not hit the ground in a roll, and instead struggled to hold the older woman with as he leapt nimbly out of the way of what seemed to be a spinning shell. A head poked from one of the holes, set its sights on Link, and rushed at the boy, spinning wildly once more in its spiked, rotating home. Link hopped aside, setting down the witch.

He ripped his blade from its sheath and pulled his shield from atop the scabbard, crouching into a defense position. The turtle span at him again, striking his shield and ripping the boy off of his feet. He flew a few feet, rolled backwards and back onto his feet. He crouched again and angled his shield. This time, as the turtle approached, it slid up the face of his protective steel barrier, and Link pushed with all of his might. The spiked creature flipped onto one of the spines, the point of it digging into the ground. The creature pulled its head and stubby legs from within its shell and wriggled in a panic. Link, slowly and calmly, climbed onto the bottom of the protective shell and, with the cold calculating eyes of a warrior, brought his blade down onto the soft skin of the throat of the turtle. The beast writhed for just a moment, then was still.

He heard the cries of the forest around him continued, and grew louder. Something buzzed nearby and, before Link could spin to see his attacker, he felt a jolt of electricity through his body, and tumbled to the ground. Through his blurred vision and ringing ears, he could see the large figures of some flying beast and could hear the yelling of his fairy companion over the buzzing of his assaulter. She must be right next to him. In fact, he was pretty sure he could see her light flooding his eyes. Everything was bright, and the creatures approaching were steadily drowning out the fey's panicked voice.

Then, something happened. With a flash of blue, one of the assailants fell from the sky, and the rest fled quickly. As his vision faded to black, Link could make out the figure of a hobbled and hunched elderly woman. "Oh, stupid boy," he thought he heard before he blacked out, consciousness being ripped from him and replaced by the bliss of senselessness.


	7. Chapter Seven: of Angers

**A/N: As of right now, this one and the next two chapters are finished. I might fall off of the uploading wagon, as chapter ten is a painfully slow process, as I do want to get Snowhead right and have plans for all the transformation masks. I hope you all enjoy chapter seven.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own The Legend of Zelda. It is the intellectual property of the Nintendo Corporation and Tatsumi Kimishima, Eiji Aonuma, as well as Shigeru Miyamoto.**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Of Angers

* * *

" _Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one." – Benjamin Franklin_

* * *

Link's eyes opened slowly, the young boy blinking away the grogginess which being forced into unconsciousness brought. His senses, though dulled, still screamed in agony. Something must have hit him. And, as the throbbing in his head and legs grew steadily more noticeable, he decided that, not only must he had been hit, but he must had been hit _hard_. He closed his eyes in an attempt to call back the memory of his falling. He saw the forest in his mind's eye, though the recalled memory was fogged by the pain which beat at his skull. He remembered dully something attacking his leg, but felt that they did not make contact. Not the beast, at least. He also remembered the yelling of his fairy friend and the old woman of the forest before a sharp pain in his neck and then nothing.

The fairy and old woman.

Tatl and Koume.

Link struggled to sit up, trying to look around the room, but his attempts were cut short by a skinny hand with long, bony fingers, which was cold to the touch. "Lay back down. Now is not the time to be moving. Just a few hours ago, you were bleeding out. Being stung by a Dragonfly is nothing to laugh about…"

A Dragonfly? Link had never known the small, elegantly-winged bugs to harm Hylians. Then again, this was not Hyrule, and he did recall something large with wings, a few of them, surrounding his downed body. But there was no time to sit idly by. Link shook his head, ignoring the swimming which followed, and stood up from the hay-stuffed mattress which he had been placed upon, being awarded a sudden wave of nausea for his efforts.

But he pushed through the sudden sickness, standing from the bed, eliciting an irritated huff from the woman who had awakened him. "Whatever," she said, turning around. Her voice, Link thought, was somewhat familiar. He had heard it before...

He turned to the old woman, and, despite her back being turned to him, he knew who this was. There was no mistaking the black robe, short and hunched stature, and blue gem peeking out over a head of white, bunched up and wild hair. It was Kotate, the Ice Mage and second Twinrova Sister. It explained the flashed of blue before Link lost his senses.

"Um… thank you," Link muttered as he searched the small building he found himself within. The witch turned to him, her long nose with a single boil on it sticking out from her face. She cut her eyes at the boy, but nodded slowly. She must not have seen any reason to continue to berate the boy, as beaten and broken as he was. She turned around and, from under her small counter, pulled Link's sword, bag and shield, handing them to the boy.

"The fairy said she'd be back," the witch said once her elderly hands were free of the weight of the steel equipment. She then turned back to her counter, where she moved around a few bottles of potion. "And I guess you can take a bottle of red potion with you, if you must. That sting on your back left a pretty big gash. I already gave you something for it, but if it reopens, I won't be there to help you."

It seemed like the elderly potion-brewing spellcaster wanted to be upset with the young boy whom she'd had to drag out of the woods, but could not bring herself to. Indeed, this was not the murderous Kotate which Link had done battle with in his Other Life. No, this woman, and her sister, were entirely different people. And that simply raised more questions for Link. Seeing these familiar faces; hearing these familiar names, where was Termina… _What_ was Termina?

The young, green-clad boy had no answer to his own questions, but didn't get much time to ponder the query, either, as Tatl dashed in through the window, her wings beating steadily to hold her aloft as she breathed heavily. "Link! You're awake!"

The now-conscious boy nodded solemnly at the fairy, tightening his belts so as to hold his equipment in place. "I scouted around the swamp! There's no way to get to the other side. You can only get so far as a De-"

The fey froze, looking at Kotate out of the corner of her eye. The witch, however, paid the sprite no mind, but she skipped over the thought of changing into the form of a swamp creature using a magical mask, just to be safe. Before the fairy could continue, Kotate piped up. "My sister owns the store east of here. Despite failing grandly, she's still thankful for your 'rescue' and told me that I should mention a free Swamp Tour to you should you awaken—I mean… when you awaken."

Link nodded and Tatl seemed somewhat upset at the witch's insemination that Link may not have survived his wound, as if he were so weak to let a bug kill him, giant as it may be. But, before the sprite could voice her opinion on the matter of her companion's livelihood, the young boy was already out the door, glass bottle of red potion now in his hand, and the fey was forced to fly quickly in order to reach his side before the wooden barrier closed.

Once Link was free from the choking stench of brewing potions, something he had not entirely noticed until getting into fresher air, he breathed deeply and took stock of his current situation. The sun was already high in the sky, meaning that this second day was nearly halfway through. He had a wound on his back, which was stiff and stung as his tunic rubbed against it. Most likely Kotate had to pour the potion directly onto the damaged area. In sped up the healing process, but not in the way that ingesting a potion did. Instead of causing the regeneration of tissue to occur immediately, the potion clotted up to stop the bleeding, then worked painfully slow compared to its normal effects. The thought of this made Link shutter, as not only was the process slow, but it was actually physically painful. The last time the boy was forced to rub potion directly onto a wound, in his Other Life, he had to grit his teeth for a solid twenty minutes until the pain subsided.

Link looked down at the healing remedy in his hand before stuffing it into one of the pockets of his bag. He shouldered the burlap sack, letting it hand over his shield as he climbed down the ladder of the cauldron-shaped building which he found himself in. On his right, he saw the pure spring water, from which Link assumed the witch brewed potions, and, after just a moment of consideration, saw nothing wrong with filling his water skin full of the crystal-clear liquid. With this done, and after refreshing himself directly from the spring, Link began moving again. With Tatl at hs side, flitting to and fro, the young boy warrior made his way down a small, short canyon-like opening within the naturally forming rocks. Between them was a beaten, dirt path, which told Link that this was the way which he was intended to enter.

Unfortunately, it did not take him long to run into trouble. It was nothing he couldn't handle, and at first seemed like absolutely nothing. A Deku Baba, short and stiff from its age, burst from the ground. With a single clean swipe, Link felled the monster, which lay there sadly. Link, after a moment of staring at the dead plant, cut its teeth-riddled head off, taking its stiff body, which was akin to a Deku Stick. And, though not as tough, the item could take quite a beating and was flammable to the point of being able to be used as a torch. Link slid the long stick beside his sheath, tucking it under the leather of the bolster holding his weapon in place.

Link continued moving down the short path, encountering another, more limber Deku Baba. It snarled at him, but he stared down the carnivorous plant, blade drawn. Venom dripped from its maw, winding and sliding past its sharp, jagged fangs. It lashed out at the boy, and he easily sidestepped the attack which had been telegraphed by the beast's reeling back and stiffening up. As it reached him, Link brought his sword down onto the beast with a savage cry. The head split open, spilling its purplish, blood-like contents onto the grass. Link nodded to himself and cleared the remainder of the path without issue.

It was then that the boy reached the river, in all of its stinking, purple glory. The sulfuric stench which reached his nostrils gave Link pause, and he stared at the oddly-colored water nervously. "That doesn't look safe," commented Tatl… how insightful.

Link simply nodded however, not in the mood to respond, and instead plucked a few blades of grass from the fertile dirt. He dropped it into the river and watched as the current began dragging out the plant life. However, this did not happen before the organic material dissolved in the poisonous swamp water… "Really not safe."

"Well. That's no good…" Link muttered. Was it just organic matter… or…

Link looked up. No, it couldn't just be organic material. Link drew the stick on his back from its place, dipping it into the water. Nothing happened, making Link wonder what it was causing the reaction which the grass had shown. Perhaps the strong skin of bark was left unaffected by the water. Link broke off the poison-covered piece of the stick before returning it to his back. With an idea forming in his head, Link withdrew something from his bag. It was one of the two things within it, and was not hard to locate without looking. He thumbed over the wooden face of the mask before slowly raising it to his face. This was a true test of the power of the item.

He felt his nose touch the inside of the faux face, and thought that, perhaps the Mask Salesman had lied in saying it would return him to his Deku Form. But then, it happened. Suddenly, the mask, originally stiff, collapsed its edges around the young boy's face, gripping his skin tightly. Link tugged the wooden item in a hopeless attempt to pry it from his face, but failed. His hands slipped from the wooden mask each time, and the boy eventually resorted to yelling out in pain as he felt something crawling under his skin. His vision went white, the pain unbearable, and Link thought that there was a chance he had died. But this was not the case. He could still feel, and feel he did. He felt his bones shorten and thin out. He felt his head grow larger and weightier, his lips and nose painfully stretching into a snout. His eyes, cobalt and powerful, filled with a red liquid, as if the boy had busted a blood vessel. He felt his finders thicken and his toes conjoin into a large mass of flesh. Then, the wooden texture crawled from the mask and down his skin, turning it into the bark which he had lived with previously.

His vision returned and he hastily felt his face, which had once more taken on the features of a Deku Scrub and not simply fallen off as he had irrationally feared it would. His hands were once more covered in the leather of the small gloves. Similarly, his oversized hat was resting on his head and the green kilt once again covered his lower body, tiny boots on his feet. The footwear, however, was promptly removed and handed to the fairy. "Whatever. Guess I'm a pack-fairy now, eh?" she complained.

Link stared ahead. In the water, just past the wooden dock which Link had been standing upon for the last few minutes, was a series of flowers. Tatl, following his daze, explained. "Those are lily pads. Water Lilies grow on them. They can hold a little weight, and you don't seem like much, so…." Link wondered momentarily why the plants were not dissolving in the liquid, but opted instead to thank the Goddesses that he now had a way to cross the river.

He backed up, getting a running start at the water, his foot meeting the liquid. He skipped easily across the poison, and was in the air again moments later, bouncing upon his return to the Earth. With his third leap, he felt the lily pad below his feet. It sunk slightly with his weight, wetting his feet with the toxic water. In fact, it also wet the previously-dry flower, which steamed and dissolved.

"Looks like the pads are the only thing thick enough to not be absolutely melted," Tatl explained. Link nodded to her, having come to the same conclusion himself before hopping back onto the water. Little bounce after little bounce, lily pad after lily pad, and poor flower after poor flower, Link made his way east. It was grueling and tiring, and Link could feel himself getting less and less distance for each jump as water soaked into his wooden body.

Finally, however, the end was in sight, and Link could see a long dock which lead to a raised building. Under said building was a small, floating boat, tied to the wooden dock with a thick rope. The boy, his determination renewed, hopped across the water speedily and to the wood of the dock, where the poison water he had collected drained out of his feet, lightening the boy once more. His wooden skin dry once more, Link took his small boots back from Tatl, slipping them onto his feet. Then, he felt along the edges of the mask. There was no seem, but somewhere in his mind, he could feel the itching idea that he could remove the cursed item. He imagined it, willing his mask to fall off and separate from his face. Magic stirred in his veins and obliged to his wishes. He felt the edge separate from the rest of his wooden skin, and Link pulled off the wooden mask.

Becoming human was much more pleasant than becoming a Scrub. That was not to say it was enjoyable, but at least he couldn't feel his skin stretching unnaturally anymore. Instead, it seemed to heat up and melt back into place. Link was glad for this, replacing the mask in his bag, as he didn't have to scream in pain anymore. He turned to the ladder, which was only a few feet away, stepping over the puddle he had left as a Deku Scrub. He grasped the wooden rungs of the ladder, hoisting himself up, his fey friend flying up to the raised platform effortlessly. "Come on, Deku Boy, you're going too slow."

Link groaned as he raised himself onto the platform and glared at the sprite, eliciting an evil giggle from the fairy as he stood, walking to the door, above which was a sign. "Swamp Tourist Center," Link read it softly aloud, nodding to himself as he twisted the iron handle on the wooden door, opening it wide. Tatl flitted through, followed by Link. "Good work, door opening slave!" the fey giggled, and Link actually returned the soft laughter. The wooden shack was tidy and smelled of something unidentifiable, but not unpleasant. Perhaps it was one of the plants which were in pots around the interior of the building. Perhaps it was simply the crisp wood, though Link doubted it.

"Ah! Welcome!" called a familiar, aged voice. Link cast his eyes across the store and, there in the corner, was Koume. "Thanks for what you did back there!"

Link smiled at the woman and moved slowly towards her. "It was no issue."

The elder clapped happily, staring down at the boy. "Wonderful! So, I'm sure my sister told you, but this is the Swamp Tourist Center! We give boat tours of the swamp for a reasonable fee, of course. But, as a special thanks to you, I'll let you take one of our boat cruises for free!"

"Yes, thank you," Link responded, smiling at the witch's cheery disposition. It was a good contrast from her sister, who Link was sure Tatl would eventually argue with. With this sister, Link noticed Tatl bobbing happily around. At least exposure to Koume wouldn't cause her temper to flare, Link thanked the Goddesses once more. Today was just full of miracles, it seemed.

And so, with the elderly woman, following behind him, Link boarded the boat which floated idly in the calm water below the shop. Koume stepped onto it, rocking the wooden vessel back and forth. "Stupid paint," the witch growled under her breath. Indeed, the paint was gone, the water having eaten it away, most likely a while ago. But, Link didn't think much on that as he stepped over the small gap between the boat and the docks. The boat, as it did with Koume, rocked with the weight of the young warrior and his steel weaponry, mask and bottle full of healing potion.

As he sat, the stick tucked under his belt push against the ground and his back uncomfortably, so he pulled it from its place and tucked it underneath the seat. "All aboard!" called the witch despite it being abundantly clear that Link was the only one in the vicinity before setting off. The boat moved at a slow but comfortable pace, cutting easily through the disgustingly-sulfuric swamp water. Soon, they were cruising by a familiar dock. "On your left," the witch said in an overly-cheery voice. "Is the road leading to a potion shop run by my older, less beautiful sister."

While the witch chuckled softly at her comment, Link paid it little mind. Unfortunately, despite this, the elder did not stop her narration of the tour. It didn't bother Link _per se_ , but it was a minor annoyance and made it difficult to compose his thoughts. However, during his short time as a noble, Zelda had taught him how to quell his annoyance when dealing with irritating people.

"We're now crossing into the southwest swamp! On your left are the lily flowers! Frogs come from all of Termina to sing their songs on the pads of these plants!"

Link took a moment to observe the pads and the small, slowly hopping from amongst them. It stared at Link with each hop, dopey eyes meeting steely blue ones. Link couldn't help but worry as the frog landed on a log slick with moss. Surely the thing knew the danger that awaited it should it fall from its perches… Link leaned back, staring up at the moon, which had grown closer during his unconsciousness. It glared down at him and his fairy, who sat idly on his shoulder, equally as bored with the actual tour. Link felt the heat of the falling rock, a memory he hastily cast aside, replacing the unwelcome, recalled warmth from his mind, feeling the actual wind biting at his exposed arms and legs.

"Woah!" yelled the hag, stopping the boat short. Link looked up and around, setting his eyes on the cave ahead of them. Standing guard was one of the largest octorocks the boy had ever laid his eyes upon. "Well, that's an issue. I'd ram it, but I don't want to be covered in octorock guts… What do you think, kid?"

Link stared down the angry-looking creature. He drew his sword from his back and stared down at the short blade. Oh how he wished it was just a little longer. When he had it reforged, the smithy did draw out both the blade and the tang just a bit, but only by about an inch, and the sword was still just a bit bigger than a dagger. It seemed the witch thought the same, but didn't keep quiet about her opinions on the matter. "That dinky little thing won't stop you from getting shot, kid. That shield's too small, too. Those pellets hurt, and something of this size is surely spitting one the size of your head."

Link nodded in unfortunate agreeance, sheathing his weapon. The boy looked around. There wasn't much other than empty water, but, on the cliff which housed the opening the giant octorock guarded, was some sort of plant. It was long and thick, extending down into the waters of the swamp, its skin resisting the poison which corrupted the liquid.

"Guess we'll be turnin' back then, kid," said the old witch. But, Link held out his hand. "I have business to attend to deeper in the swamp," he explained.

Koume quirked up an eyebrow. "Funny, kid. Let's go."

But the boy persisted, shaking his head determinedly. "I really must venture further into this swamp," he said, his noble's tongue, developed from his time in the castle, showed itself in his elegant speech. "It's true!" Tatl persisted with the boy.

And the witch sighed, closing her eyes. "Alright. You seem like you can handle yourself. I can drop you off here."

Link nodded, pointing out the previously spotted vine. "Looks like I can use that to get around the octorock."

The old woman waded the boat over, lining it along the wall. "Good luck, kid. Be careful. I'd fly you over, but I'm not back to full strength yet."

"It will be fine—I will be fine," the warrior assured the spellcasting elder. She gave only a set of pursed lips as acknowledgement and Link grabbed the vine, beginning his climb. The witch watched the boy hoist himself up the vine, climbing over the top of the cliff which it grew from before turning and making her way back to her shop.

Link brushed off his tunic, ridding it of grass stains and making his way through the foliage atop the cliff. It was thick, having been thriving away from the poisonous waters which waded softly far below them. As such, Link was forced to cut down weeds which had overstayed their welcome. Large thickets of thorn bushes stood in his way, and though he was an expert in moving around in a forest, he was unwilling to take the time to avoid the prickly vegetation. It fell to his blade, and the boy trampled it under his thick leather boots. Another swift slice fell yet more bushes, and the boy trekked on, making his way onward and to the Palace.

"How close are we, Tatl?" Link asked as he slipped under a low-hanging vine.

"I'd say another good thirty minutes of hiking. You should see it once we're close. It's kinda hard to miss."

And with this knowledge in mind, Link chopped at the thorns anew, cutting the pesky plant life down in seconds and stomping it into the dirt moments later. And just as Tatl said, he did not miss the Deku Palace once the two of them closed the distance. Link stood there, staring at the large, intricate palace, which seemed to be carved out of some giant tree, large limbs having been cut or having fallen off at some point in the past, leaving only a follow stump with a built-on roof. Surrounding the main palace were tall, wooden walls with savage points on top of them. Link could see how the issue of crawling over those spikes could deter would-be thieves… however, they were not enough to deter him. Standing in front of the wall, blocking the only open entrance visible to Link, were two tiny Deku Scrubs. The boy, determined and prepared moved to step out of the tree line.

"Wait, Link!" Tatl said suddenly, halting the boy in his tracks. He turned to her curiously, questions floating in his eyes.

"I don't think the Deku take too kindly to other species. Maybe you should—uh… not be a human?"

The boy thought about this for a moment before nodding his agreeance. Indeed, approaching the palace as a human could spell danger for Link. While Deku Scrubs were nothing compared to what he'd done battle with in the past, they weren't pushovers, either, and their little pellets stung unmercifully. By the Goddesses how the pellets hurt…

So, the warrior withdrew the wooden mask from his bag, bracing himself for the pain of the transformation once more, He slipped on the mask, feeling the wooden material clasp down on his flesh once more, holding tight to Link's face. It didn't take nearly as long this time, and after a brief flash of pain, most likely from all of his bones shifting at once, Link was able to look down and see his Deku body. Letting out the breath he had taken in as a human, and finding that that wasn't a good idea, as he hadn't necessarily taken that breath as a human and taking a deep gulp of air, Link moved towards the beginning of the long, tied-off log bridge that created a barrier across the poisonous water and to the palace.

As eh grew near, he could overhear the soft conversation of the bored Deku guards, which stopped soon after they noticed Link. The two tiny Dekus stood at attention, setting the boy up with a glare. "Halt, young Deku child! This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those on official business may enter!" said the smallest Scrub.

The larger of the two, however, leaned over and whispered something in the other's ear… hole… side of his head… Link was still unsure, but he was pretty confident it was an ear-hole which received sounds. After all, Link hadn't really explored his wooden body yet and was unsure of how things worked still. After the larger whispered to the smaller, it took a moment to look abashed before setting its face stony once more and gazing through the young Deku Scrub before him. "…But you may enter to see the public humiliation of the foolish monkey who angered our king."

Monkey?

Now that caught Link's attention. If one of those monkeys were here, it would need help. The boy could not see the small primates he had assisted in the forest being capable of anything mischievous as other apes were. Intrigued and slightly concerned, Link nodded in response to the guard. The small Scrub turned in his flower, staring down the corridor. "Follow this hall straight to the Royal Chamber. Do not. I repeat. Do not. Enter. Any, _any_ areas other than the Royal Chamber for any reason."

Link nodded once more to the enthusiastic guard, and it dived into its Deku Flower, the other Deku-warrior (Were they even capable of fighting?) doing the same with its own. Link, straightening his kilt, padded down the corridor and through the darkened doorway. As he neared the chamber, he could see the faint firelight which casted the dark shadow that had consumed the door.

The sight was less than normal, as four small Deku Scrubs shook in their leaves across the chamber, their foliage clothing rustling loudly with their movements. In front of them, causing their cowardly quivering, was one of the biggest _real_ Deku Scrubs the boy had ever laid his eyes upon. It thrashed to and fro in an outrage, whipping the staff in its hands in many direction. Atop its head rested a crown, large and mighty.

…

Perhaps the Scrub was not as large as Link first anticipated. Now that the looked a little closer, the figure of the Deku was not very intimidating. It was actually quite short and stocky, with short legs and arms. On its face was a silly-looking leaf mustache which seemed to be well-groomed. The only thing of majesty on the creature was its crown, which made it appear much taller than it actually was.

On the left of the room, however, was what Link had come for. There was a large, wooden cage, with a tall pole resting inside, tied to which was a small, white and fluffy monkey, squealing and thrashing its tiny legs in a desperate hope to escape. Tatl, who peaked out of Link's hat, growled angrily at the condition of the poor monkey before fuming silently in Link's headwear.

Slowly, Link approached the throne—or large chair, as Link would prefer to call it. Sure, it was very nicely carved, but lacked any sort of comfort which the young noble had seen in the thrones in the castle. As he did this, the royal Deku spotted him, stopping its movements to stroke its moustache. Beside him, a butler, who had previously gone unseen by Link, stood, stony-faced and silent as the wind.

"I haven't seen your face before," boomed the surprisingly-strong voice of the Deku King. Link's eyes widened in fear. Was it abnormal for newcomers to enter the palace? Was there any chance the king knew all the Deku? Would he be ejected from the palace? That wouldn't be good. He had a job to do and a monkey to free!

"Are you visiting?"

All the panic which had built up inside of Link escaped with the relieved sigh that he heaved before nodding to the king.

"Usually," the crown-clad Deku said, stroking its leafy beard. "I don't allow the likes of you in the Royal Chamber, but today is different!"

"We're about to punish the foolish monkey who kidnapped the Deku Princess!"

"Kidnapped?" Link heard Tatl hiss in his hat. He was similarly curious and disbelieving, but kept his suspicions silent.

"He has insulted the Royal Family. I'll show him what happens when you do that," the king said as he turned to the ape's cell. "That foolish monkey is up in that cage. Take a look at his face!"

Link did and wanted to frown, but his snout did not allow such. He stared at the struggling and pleading monkey for a few moments before returning his attention to the king. "Soon, we will interrogate the monkey and figure out where he has hidden the princess…"

Link stepped closer to the cage, looking for anything that could help him. He saw nothing other than a window which led to the outside world. However, considering the size of the palace and the height of the window, it was an impossible climb.

Link left the Royal Chamber with his head working quickly. He was trying to think of some way—any way in which he could reach the window. Nothing came to mind, but that was fine, as his thoughts were cut short by tiny, lighthearted voices. "Was my brother alright?" asked a small monkey, staring up at him. "You change shape! Smell the same!" continued the monkey, answering Link's unspoken question.

"Did you see entrance to cage?" the small creature asked, blinking its beady eyes quickly. Link nodded, looking around at the two other primates which did not seem keen on, or perhaps were incapable of, speaking.

"We know secret route there. Enter secret route from Outer Garden entrance."

"But entrance in tall place. No can reach it. Need bean from bean seller. Live beneath palace garden," the monkey continued. "Sneak there. Use powers. Many luck!" The monkey rushed over to a hole on the left side of the corridor, the opening doorless: without barricade. "Here! Through here!" And with that, the monkeys scampered off, clambering up the walls and into the trees.

Link knew not what to think of the strange animals which twice had lead him down the correct path and did not see any reason why they would lead him astray. He ducked into the opening, and around a small corner. He found himself in a roofless garden, small plants and flowers growing all around him. Tiny, unusable Deku Flowers rested within soil which was in wooden boxes. In some places, high towers cast shadows upon the ground, blocking the light from the grass. Link looked up at the sun. It would be setting soon. He had to get a move on. Luckily, the approaching darkness would give him a chance to sneak through undetected by the short Deku Guards wielding odd spears. The weapons seemed abnormal in the hands of the wooden being, but the tip, its steel glinting in the torchlight, was just as deadly as any other. Link definitely didn't want to find himself caught by it—or on it.

Crouching down, Link pulled the mask from his face in order to speak to him fairy companion. "Tatl," he said. "Get in my hat. Don't want your light attracting attention."

The fey nodded as Link slipped the mask back on. Once more, his bones shifted, but as with the last time, it was quick and nearly painless. Tatl slipped into his cap, settling herself in his leafy hair, the fabric of his headwear snuffing out her light. All that remained now was the light of the sun, what little of it there was, and the light of the torches. Link would have to avoid the guards carefully. Failure, unfortunately for the young Deku who wished nothing more than to flop on his face and go to sleep, was not an option. So, he smoothed out his kilt and moved deeper into the garden. His short stature helped hide him under the wooden boxes, which held the flowers, and his wooden skin blended with the walls. He was sure, however, that the Deku guards would easily spot him. So, he could not rely on his natural camouflage.

He ducked quickly as the eyes of one of the guards swept the area, making sure his head was hidden behind the barrier, then peaked out as he heard the tiny, shuffling footsteps of the Deku. He dashed from the box he had hidden behind to one of the tall towers, pressing his back against the wood of the structure. Peaking around the corner, he could see two guards patrolling. He found it odd for them to all be patrolling this one small area, but ignored the thought and dashed through their blind spot when they turned their back on one another, his booted footfalls muffled by the thick, soft grass beneath his feet. He slipped under another archway and into a new room.

This one was not much different than the other. The boxes were painted a bit different and the tower was located a bit closer to the center, but that was it. Link couldn't think of a reason which they may have built a wall, chalking it up to "having something to do." His head ducked under the barrier that was a planting box, he waited for the Deku guards to expose their backs, which gave Link the chance to slip past them. This happened time and time again, and the young Deku made his way around the guards of a similar species. The hole he could now see, which existed just within the line of sight of a guard, was within sprinting distance. The guard blinked, then turned its back on the hole, and Link strained his tiny legs to reach the opening in the ground, leaping into it. His decent seemed maddeningly slow, and he did not know how long it took him to hit the ground within the grotto.

"Oof," Link's lungs (should he have them) complained as he hit the ground, the fall being softened by his spine. He stood slowly, shaking his head. "You good, Deku Boy?" Tatl asked, having flown out of his hat during the fall. The boy nodded in response, taking wobbly steps towards a torch which burned in the darkness of the hole. As he stepped, he removed his mask. He still hurt, unfortunately. Looked like he couldn't cheat his punishment for stupidity.

As he rounded the corner, carved out of stone, he laid his eyes upon a small shop—if it could be called that. Sitting upon a rug, munching away at his own merchandise, was a chubby, shirtless man. He had a few blue tattoos on his arm and a bald, shiny head that reflected the torchlight as he munched away on something in a large pouch in his lap.

"Well," the bald man said slowly between chomps. "You're the first customer I've have in a looooong time! Do you need any Magic Beans? They sprout leaves as soon as you water 'em."

"Uh… yes, please," Link said as he cleared both his head and the distance between he and the bean salesman.

"Mmm," the salesman hummed in pleasure as he munched on a particularly tasty bean. "I'll give you one free sample. You can always buy more, too, if you like 'em."

The man reached back into his bag, withdrawing a long, green pod, which he handed to Link. The boy took it, examining its colorful insides for just a moment before slipping it into his bag. "Hey, thanks!" Tatl said happily, having been mostly silent for the last while, and definitely excited that their journey had managed to not crash and burn the last few hours.

"Noooo problem," the salesman replied before resuming his never-ending meal. Link turned, making his way back to the opening of the hole. He slipped on the Deku Mask, reverting to his smaller form once more, as had been the pattern that day, and climbed back up the hole which he had fallen down. The climb, strangely enough, seemed faster than the fall. Link didn't think on it. His head already hurt.

Peaking outside, Link caught sight of one of the guards, it's back turned to him. He scampered out of the hole, thanking the Goddesses for his good fortune as he rushed out of the garden. The return trip was much easier than the one there, as the Scrubs, like most guards Link had encountered, were only content to move around in a pattern, something even he had found himself doing out of boredom from time to time when keeping watch at the castle or ranch.

He moved slowly back through the corridor, his ears(?) picking up the sound of a small, one-sided argument. "Absolutely not! You can not enter! No non-Deku can! Why are you just standing there? Shoo!"

The smaller guard hopped up and down, much to the chagrin of the larger. Despite the situations comic value, it left much to be desired in way of his companion's maturity. Even now, he was arguing with a small, fluffy monkey that sat dopily on the wooden bridge. As he did so, the small Scrub which they had let in earlier pushed its way past them. The monkey sprung onto its feet once it caught sight of the child.

"This way!" it called, hopping from lily pad to lily pad. Link followed easily, hopping gracefully across the water, confusing the guards, who wanted nothing more than to return to their flowers, which they did, the desire to forget the situation overtaking the need to guard the palace.

After a few of the thick lily pads, Link and the monkey reached solid ground once more. The little creature pointed up, to a small hole in the wall of the Deku Palace. "Secret route," it said simply. Link nodded, taking off his mask. The monkey gave a short, startled intake of breath, muttering. "Strange powers…"

Link reached into his leather pouch, the cow's face smiling at him as he raised the flap on it, taking out the magic bean. Just below the hole, the warrior ripped some soil from the ground and placing the bean within the small hole he had made. Grabbing his waterskin from his belt. He uncorked its top, drinking from it before pouring the contents of the leather bag onto the bean, replacing the soil overtop of it and washing his hands on the grass.

"Now, we wait," Link muttered as he stood, watching the haphazardly piled soil. It did not take long, either. Within minutes, the sprout broke the surface of the soil, then seconds later, its stalk thickened and grew big, strong leaves.

"Fly!" the monkey yelled.

And indeed it was. The plant life was floating mere inches above the ground without any explanation other than the magical origins of the seed. Link stepped slowly onto the plant, and it made an attempt to lift off the ground. However, the leaf which Link found himself on did not budge, pinned to the ground. "Wow, Link. You're fat!" Tatl teased as the plant made something akin to a sound of physical strain.

Link sighed, knowing just what would make the plant move. He withdrew his mask once more, wishing for nothing more than the chance to rest, and shoved it onto his face. The mask took over his being quickly, Link taking on his Deku form for the fifth time that day. Unfortunately, Link felt that it may not be the last. AS he expected, the plant lifted off the ground, allowing Link to hop into the hole in the wall and make his way above the garden. He looked down, seeing the hole he had fallen into previously, a Deku guard staring into it in its boredom. It laid down on its stomach, straining its tiny arms to find the bottom of the hole with its long spear. The wooden and steel weapon went into the hole, then fell from the Scrub's hand. It jumped back, looking around to see if anyone witnessed its failure, then continued its patrol as if nothing happened.

Link held back a chuckle and Tatl giggled beside him, grinning down at the Deku who had just lost its weapon to a hole. Looked like the bean salesman might be able to start a weapon's store, too. The small Deku looked out over the garden. The tall tower was much too far to jump to, but Link found it interesting that, atop the raised platform was dirt and a large, purple Deku Flower. He started at the tower, then at his own feet. The platform his stood upon had its own Deku Flower, but Link was unsure if even a Flower Jump could cross that gap. But Link was not someone to avoid maybes.

Link stepped onto the flower, closing his eyes and sinking deep into the plant. He breathed slowly before letting his body launch from the plant, grabbing the stems of the two spinning flowers on his way out. They opened up above them, their tilted pedals keeping him afloat as he shifted his weight, the flowers carrying him towards the tall tower. Below him, the guards did not even spare a glance upwards, much to Link's relief. Ahead of him, the tower steadily grew closer, but he could feel the stems of the flower beginning to wilt in his wooden hands, and he knew it was do or die time. He kicked his feet in a desperate attempt to get just a little more distance.

Four feet.

Three feet.

Two…

The flowers gave out, and Link plummeted, his arms flailing to catch an edge which he could use to hoist himself up, anything on which to catch himself to avoid hitting the ground. His palm found an anchor, and he held onto it with one hand tightly, growling in his light Deku voice at the strain, working furiously to pull himself over the edge of the tower before the guards got wise to his presence or decided to do some stargazing. After a few moments of struggling, Link pulled his wooden body over the edge of the tower, laying on his side and huffing breaths heavily. He stood slowly, taking stock of the new situation.

It was clear what he had to do now. The other tower was just in reach, and so he once more tunneled into a Deku Flower, firing himself out of it and floating slowly towards the other tower. Unfortunately, he did not expect resistance. From the purple flower, another Scrub appeared, peaking its head out and spotting Link. He worried it may raise an alarm or yell to its friends, but instead, it stood from its flower, stomped angrily, and fired a Deku Nut at the floating Deku, who narrowly avoided being removed from the sky by the tiny projectile. It stomped again, jumping and angrily up and down like a child before firing yet another nut. This one struck Link's torso, and he squeezed his eyes shut in lieu of clenching his nonexistent teeth. He was within range now, and the other Scrub was yelling something in its native tongue. The Deku Petals in Link's hands gave out, and he tumbled into the other Scrub, knocking the poor creature off of the tower and into the dirt below. It squealed angrily, the other guards rushing over and making failed attempts to pluck the Scrub, who flailed uselessly, from the dirt.

Link took his chance and burrowed into the flower, floating over to the bridge that seemed to connect the two gardens. Link ran across the wooden beam, making his way to a second platform which overlooked the other garden. As with its partner, this garden featured many wooden boxes, with two towers casting their long shadows over everything else. The tiny Deku Scrub dove into yet another Deku Flower, launching himself at the first available tower. He landed, surprisingly enough, without issue, and prepared to burrow into the flower atop the tower.

However, before he got the chance, another Deku Scrub emerged from the other tower's Flower, staring down Link with angry red eyes. It popped out, stomping, just as its twin-Scrub had, before firing a Deku Nut. Having solid ground below him, Link was able to twist his body expertly out of the projectile's path, eliciting much anger from the Mad Scrub. As it stomped, the Younger Scrub charged up one of his long-neglected magic bubbles before sending it at the creature. It slowly shrunk, becoming a deadly pellet. The bubble struck the other Scrub, whose skin seemed to be made of sterner stuff, as the little thing simply fell over with the impact of the pellet, falling off of its tower, unconscious. Link took a moment to breathe easy, then made his way to the other tower, and finally, the hole which was a window to the monkey's cage.

"Surprisingly enough, that was good work, Deku Boy," Tatl commented, eliciting a proud grin from the warrior.

Link dropped his grin, looking high into the air. There the moon hung, up in the sky, making its way towards Clock Town and its inhabitants. He hoped only that he'd have enough time…


End file.
